52 million years ago in Antarctica grew palms

The shores of the Antarctic continent about 52 million years ago were covered with subtropical forests, and the temperature even during the polar night does not fall below 10 degrees Celsius, found international team of scientists.

The authors studied the spores and pollen of ancient plants trapped in the ancient Antarctic sediment and geochemical composition of these sediments.

It turned out that the climate of the low-lying parts of the coast of Wilkes Land (who was then at the 70th degree south latitude) ensure the existence and growth is very diverse in species composition, almost tropical forests, where there were, in particular, palm trees and plants of the family Malvaceae (which include In particular, baobabs).

In addition, the researchers concluded that early Eocene winter in this area were very soft. Despite the polar night, the temperature did not fall below 10 degrees Celsius. However, in the interior of the continent's winter climate was much colder, but the conditions there and ensure the existence of temperate forests, where there were, for example, Araucaria, is now common in New Zealand.

via factroom.ru