Ancient Rainforest on the Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands once had a lush, diverse rainforest.
This rainforest existed up to 30 million years ago.
The ancient forest was similar to the current rainforests in Tierra del Fuego.
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at South America’s southernmost tip, shared by Chile and Argentina.
It’s known for its dramatic landscape of snowy mountains, glaciers, tundra and wind-sculpted trees
Perfectly preserved tree remains and pollen were found at a building site.
Sample Collection by Peat layers and deposits were collected from the site.
A peat layer is a naturally occurring organic soil layer that forms on the surface of the soil and is made up of partially decomposed plant matter
Samples were analyzed in Australia using specialized scanning electron microscopes.
Pollen spores were used to date the tree remains, as radiocarbon dating was inconclusive.
Ancient Climate and Ecosystem
The South Atlantic climate was warmer and wetter in the past.
The rainforest supported a rich ecosystem of plant and animal life.
Many of the tree species are now extinct but were carried to the islands by wind.
Detailed findings are published in the journal Antarctic Science
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