Ancient Vegetation, Insect Fossils Found in Antarctica

Fox News ^

[Scythian]

Fourteen million years ago the now lifeless valleys were tundra, similar to parts of Alaska, Canada and Siberia — cold but able to support life, researchers report.

The moss was essentially freeze dried, he said. Unlike fossils, where minerals replace soft materials, the moss tissues were still there, he said.

"The really cool thing is that all the details are still there," even though the plant has been dead for 14 million years. "These are actually the plant tissues themselves."

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And they redicule me for believing in the bible ... 14 million years, ya right

[Porterville]

The scientist is ridiculed for believing in the bible? He is kind of angry too.

[Coyoteman]

... 14 million years, ya right

And in your professional opinion the correct age is?

[colorado tanker]

Well, there is the silly warning about climate change, code for global warming. The essential message, though, is the long term trend for Earth is cooling, not warming. And that really isn’t a good thing for life.

[mnehring]

that line wasn’t in the original article.

[colorado tanker]

Ping.

[Izzy Dunne]

The Bible comment is not in the article - kind of disingenuous to imply that it is.

[Scythian]

Thousands of years, not millions.

[SlowBoat407]

For 50 million years the Earth has been cooling, he said. "As it cools it crosses thresholds. This is one, when Antarctica became permanently frozen and locked up."

"You have to understand where these thresholds are," he added, "Because, if human beings are unfortunate enough to push climate over one of these thresholds, it could be a total catastrophe."

Ummmmm...

Okay, on what basis is it determined that Antarctica is "permanently" frozen, and not just going through another phase? What caused the Earth to start this cooling period, and how long is it supposed to last?

And of course, what is the temperature of the earth "supposed" to be?

[mnehring]

6,000 years old. It must be true. A bishop in 1650 calculated it for us. According to him, the earth was created October 23, 4004 BC.

[Red Badger]

Doesn't look 14 million years old to me, either...............

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks colorado tanker.

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[SunkenCiv]

the AP sourced story:

http://www.physorg.com/news137089101.html

[I see my hands]

"And they redicule me for believing in the bible ... 14 million years, ya right"

I'm guessing this is the poster's comment, but I still don't get it. Seems to be a non sequitur, how does it relate to the article?

[manapua]

What’s so hard to accept about a 14m year old object?

[SlowBoat407]

Doesn’t look freeze-dried, either. More like “toasted”.

[Scythian]

"To me, the most interesting part of the whole story is that we've documented the timing and the magnitude of a tremendous change in Antarctic climate: the transition marks a shift from warm, temperate glaciers with patches of fringing tundra to today's cold-polar glaciers set within in a barren polar desert," said Marchant. "The contrast couldn't be more striking. It is like comparing Tierra del Fuego today with the surface of Mars--and this transition took place over a geologically short interval of roughly 200,000 years." The discovery of lake deposits with perfectly preserved fossils of mosses, diatoms and ostracods, a type of small crustacean, is particularly exciting to scientists, noted Lewis. Fossils are extremely rare in Antarctica, especially those of terrestrial and freshwater plants and animals. "They are the first to be found even though scientific expeditions have been visiting the Dry Valleys since their discovery during the first Scott expedition in 1902-1903," said Lewis. Robert Falcon Scott was a British Antarctic explorer who perished during an attempt to the first to reach the South Pole in 1912. For Ashworth the fossils are a scientific treasure trove. He said he was particularly struck that some species of diatoms and mosses are indistinguishable from living creatures. Today, these species occur throughout the world, except in Antarctica. WARNING, I'm about to make a comment .... COMMENT => LOL

[SlowBoat407]

What’s so hard to accept about a 14m year old object?

Accepting the board's thanks for NOT posting a Helen Thomas picture here.

[Tzimisce]

Hm....

[DustyMoment]

D@MN Glow Bull Warming!!!