Geology Historic find: amber discovered in Antarctica
A significant find in Antarctica provides new insights into the environmental conditions 90 million years ago. Scientists have discovered amber on the southernmost continent for the first time.
12.11.2024, 13:11
12.11.2024, 13:12
SDA
Scientists have discovered amber in Antarctica for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the study of the Earth's history. The site is the southernmost where amber has ever been found, as announced by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven and the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg.
The discovery provides valuable information about the environmental conditions in West Antarctica during the Cretaceous period, around 90 million years ago. At that time, climatic conditions prevailed there that enabled the survival of resin-producing trees. Johann Klages from the AWI describes the discovery as "another form of time travel into the past", which closes a previous gap in the map of global amber finds.
The amber was extracted from a sediment core taken by researchers in 2017 during an expedition with the research vessel "Polarstern" in the Amundsen Sea at a depth of 946 meters. Although these are only tiny traces, they still provide valuable information.
The quality of the Antarctic amber is remarkable, as it contains micro-inclusions of tree bark. These inclusions indicate that the plants sealed injuries to their bark, caused by parasites or forest fires, with resin. This resin layer served as a protective barrier against insects and infections, indicating the adaptability of the plants in the environment of the time.
