Antarctic Amber Discovery Reveals Ancient Rainforest
The discovery of amber in Antarctica, a first for the continent, provides compelling evidence of a lush rainforest flourishing near the South Pole during the mid-Cretaceous period, between 83 and 92 million years ago. This groundbreaking find, detailed in a recent study published in *Antarctic Science*, sheds new light on Antarctica's dramatically different past.
German and UK scientists unearthed the fossilized resin, the "blood" of ancient coniferous trees, alongside fossils of roots, pollen, and spores. This assemblage paints a picture of a swampy environment dominated by conifers, akin to present-day forests in New Zealand and Patagonia. The amber itself is remarkable, offering some of the most concrete evidence yet supporting the existence of this prehistoric, polar rainforest.
The discovery challenges our understanding of Antarctica's geological history. While fossilized wood and leaves have been found in Antarctica since the early 19th century, many of these discoveries predate the Cretaceous period. The current icy landscape belies a past capable of supporting resin-producing trees, an environment that would have necessitated survival through prolonged periods of winter darkness. The researchers suggest these trees may have gone dormant during the extended dark periods.
Prior to this discovery, the southernmost Cretaceous amber deposits were found in the Otway Basin (Australia) and the Tupuangi Formation (New Zealand). The Antarctic find extends the known range of such environments significantly. "It was very exciting to realise that, at some point in their history, all seven continents had climatic conditions allowing resin-producing trees to survive," commented marine geologist Johann Klages from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany.
The amber itself consists of several tiny, translucent fragments, measuring just 0.5 to 1.0 millimetres in size, exhibiting characteristic scalloped fractures indicative of resin flow. This resin would have likely been produced to seal injuries inflicted by fires or insects. The researchers suggest that high water levels rapidly covered the resin, protecting it from degradation. The amber is currently under further investigation, with hopes of identifying potential inclusions of tree bark or other organic material.
The mid-Cretaceous period was notably warm, and evidence of frequent forest fires exists in volcanic deposits from Antarctica and nearby islands. This lends further support to the notion of a vibrant, though potentially fire-prone, ecosystem. In 2017, researchers drilled into the West Antarctic seafloor and uncovered exceptionally well-preserved evidence of these long-lost habitats, including fossilized roots, pollen and spores â discoveries that are now further corroborated by the amber discovery.
Klages and his team previously announced the discovery of a network of fossilized roots dating back to the mid-Cretaceous in 2020. The current study builds upon this earlier work, providing a more comprehensive picture of Antarctica's ancient past. The latest research adds another layer to the understanding of this remarkable ecosystem, gradually unveiling the flora and functioning of Antarcticaâs forests 90 million years ago. Future analysis of the amber promises further insights into the detailed composition and dynamics of this lost polar rainforest.
