77 alien-like creatures in the 6,000-year-old 'ice grave'

Extreme cold, perpetual darkness and virtually non-existent food sources - that's what the team describes as the extraordinary 'oasis of life' they've found 200 meters below the ice shelf Ekström, according to the Daily Mail,

This absurdly appearing "oasis of life" has preserved a total of 77 species of creatures with forms not found anywhere else on Earth.

Picture 1 of 77 alien-like creatures in the 6,000-year-old 'ice grave'

Anomalous Creatures Found Beneath the Antarctic Ice Shelf

Research steps show that this "family" of 77 mysterious species has existed here since about 5,800-6,000 years ago, completely locked in a dark "ice grave", completely isolated from the outside world. above. The dating results were based on the sediment fragments they collected.

To find them, scientists drilled two holes with hot water to a depth of 200 meters. The drilling site is near the Neumayer III station in the southeastern Weddell Sea region, several kilometers from the coast.

Creatures include many species of helminths, sea worms with tentacles, snakeworms. and many creatures that are difficult to describe in words, some hermaphrodites, some with a lifespan of up to 45 years. The biodiversity inside this thousand-year-old "ice grave" is absolutely shocking.

Picture 2 of 77 alien-like creatures in the 6,000-year-old 'ice grave'

Scientists are drilling holes to find their way into the "oasis of life"

Lead author Dr David Barnes from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), said the creatures were able to survive thanks to a secret passage from this almost enclosed body of water to the ocean. 3-9 km away, which helps bring in enough algae to feed the organisms, because apparently many of them are algae-dwelling species.

However, the mere existence of such a place where there is no light and lack of many necessary conditions for life is shocking enough.

The discovery of anomalous creatures that exist in seemingly uninhabitable places on Earth itself is an important foundation in the hunt for alien life, showing that life can still exist on Earth. harsh worlds, unlike Earth.