Posted on 07/15/2010 11:11:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Australian scientists have discovered never-seen-before prehistoric marine life in the depths of the ocean below the Great Barrier Reef, the University of Queensland said Wednesday.
Ancient “six-gilled” sharks, giant oil fish, swarms of crustaceans and many unidentified fish – all of which look worthy of a science-fiction film – were among the astounding marine life caught on camera some 1,400 meters (4,593 feet) below sea level.
The team, led by Justin Marshall, also collected footage of the Nautilius, a relative of the octopus that still lives in a shell as they have done for millions of years. Team members used special light-sensitive, custom-designed remote controlled cameras that sat on the ocean floor below the Osprey Reef.
“As well as understanding life at the surface, we need to plunge off the walls of Osprey to describe the deep-sea life that lives down to 2,000 meters, beyond the reach of sunlight,” Marshall said in a statement.
“We simply do not know what life is down there, and our cameras can now record the behavior and life in Australia’s largest biosphere, the deep-sea.”
Marshall told Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper that he is now working with taxonomists and experts from around the world to identify these creatures.
"If you go down that deep, you are going to find new species," he told the paper.
Researcher Andy Dunstand said learning about these creatures’ primitive eyes and brain could help neuroscientists better understand human vision.
Marshall also said the sea creatures might help researchers better understand brain disorders, which lead to conditions such as epilepsy, explaining that most knowledge on how nerve cells function and communicate was first pioneered through work on giant squid nerve cells.
Deep sea marine life – and the lack of understanding of it – as well as the challenges of working
(Excerpt) Read more at news.blogs.cnn.com ...
Can we still post Helen Thomas pictures???
Heh, kind of reminds me of... ah heck, just another one of those scientists things that continue to discover new things whenever they can...
Seems that way too many things are just waiting for discovery...go get em, you wild scientists... Many more are just waiting for you in the deep, deep blue...
there are so many things that scientists do NOT know that it is becoming fun to catalog them... Maybe that was the way it was suppose to be...
No.
See, wasn't that easy? :)
Ed Asner’s ‘evolutionary’ gene pool!
The Elena Kagan fish.
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Thanks nickcarraway.Ancient "six-gilled" sharks, giant oil fish, swarms of crustaceans and many unidentified fish -- all of which look worthy of a science-fiction film -- were among the astounding marine life caught on camera some 1,400 meters (4,593 feet) below sea level.Hey, the shark has six gills, you swim the other way. |
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I seem to recall a story about a six-gilled shark being discovered in the deep parts of Puget Sound, in Washington. It was perhaps several years ago. It was also perhaps a figment of my alcohol-fueled imagination, but maybe not...
In that area, probably six-gilled sushi. Alcohol-fueled six-gilled sushi. ;’)
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