Researchers continue to study Antarctica, which still holds many secrets. For example, not so long ago, samples of the oldest ice with an age of 2.7 million years were discovered here. In addition, the study of Antarctic lakes helped to reveal the secret of the origin of viruses.
The new discovery was made by a team from the Australian National University. Her research showed that plants and animals can live in warm caves under the glaciers of Antarctica.
The work was carried out on the southernmost island of the planet - Ross Island. It has an active volcano (also the southernmost on Earth) called Erebus. And near this volcano, under the influence of steam, extensive cave systems were formed.
According to lead author Ceridwen Fraser, analysis of soil samples taken in the region showed traces of DNA from algae, mosses and invertebrates (arthropods, nematodes, small-bristled worms). Traces of their presence were found both in under-ice and in open areas.
“It's really warm inside the caves - up to 25 degrees Celsius. You can wear a T-shirt there and you will be pretty comfortable. There is a lot of light near the cave mouths, and some of it seeps into the depths of some caves, which makes the top layer of ice in them very thin,”says Fraser.
Most of the DNA found by her team comes from plants and animals that have been previously found in other parts of Antarctica. However, several DNA fragments were not familiar to scientists: they simply could not be identified. Experts believe that this DNA may belong to previously unknown animals and plants.
Now all the attention of researchers will be focused on finding the carriers of DNA themselves.
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“The next steps are to take a closer look at the caves and find living organisms. If they exist, it opens the door to an exciting new world,”notes co-author Laurie Connell of the University of Maine (USA).
Such a prospect seems quite real, since a variety of bacterial and fungal communities were found earlier in Antarctic volcanic caves. Therefore, it may well be that more complex life forms have settled in the same caves, adds another author of the work, Professor Craig Cary from the University of Waikato (New Zealand).
The researchers note that Antarctica is rich in volcanoes: only there are more than 15 active ones (and new ones are constantly being discovered). It is possible that many of them have the same systems of sub-ice caves in the neighborhood. The biggest surprise would be to find the relationship between these caves - then we can talk about the complex ecosystems and biodiversity of the ice continent.
The study of Antarctic caves is described in more detail in the specialized scientific publication Polar Biology.
And last year, an underwater robot filmed new colorful Antarctic life forms. The footage reveals an amazing and, oddly enough, colorful world in which sponges, in appearance, resembling a coconut, worms that look like dandelions, pink algae, and scientists have discovered arachnid starfish, live.
Yulia Vorobyova