100 million year old fossil forest

The fossil forest on the eastern island of New Zealand provided clues about ancient life near Antarctica.

Surprisingly discovered about the period when the Earth was attacked by the effect
Greenhouse applications about 100 million years ago - (Photo: Monas University)

Researchers at Monash University (Australia) said they discovered large stems, early flowering plants, seeds and rare insects, well preserved in the rock floor of Chatham Island.

These fossils are the first evidence of near-Antarctic life in the Cretaceous, 145 to 65 million years ago, when the greenhouse effect became serious on the surface of the Earth.

'100 million years ago, the Earth buckled against the greenhouse effect, pointed at terrifying temperature planets and ice at a minimum, sea level up to 200 meters higher than today' , according to Daily Galaxy website. paleontologist Jeffrey Stillwell.

In the Cretaceous, many parts of the southern continent, including New Zealand, Australia, Antarctica and South America still belong to the supercontinent Gondwana.

'Rainforests, where dinosaurs reside exist at extreme latitudes, and polar ecosystems, converted to adapt to the long, dark winters and the bright summer. ' , according to Stillwell.