Previously alleged that under a layer of ice as thick as 600 feet (180 meters) and in the absence of sunlight there is no life other than microbes only just turned out wrong. A group of NASA scientists discover animals from the family of crustaceans and jellyfish live under a thick layer of ice in Antarctica. Surprising discovery that started when they lowered a camera down through the Antarctic ice sheet, and without them guess the camera caught shrimp-like animal movement approaching toward the camera and attached to the camera cable. Besides shrimp, the scientists also discovered traces of which probably came from the tentacles of jellyfish.
"At first we assumed there was no (animal) anything down there," said NASA scientist Robert Bindschadler, who presented the findings following the videotape, on Wednesday (17/03/2010) at the American Geophysical Union meeting. Animals with a length of 3 inches it was recorded by the camera about two minutes. Shrimp-like animals that is precisely Lyssianasid Amphipod, not shrimp, but had a relationship with the family crustaceans. Of course this invention is not trivial because the discovery would challenge the thinking about a minimum requirement to living organisms. If there is a type of shrimp that can live under a layer of ice 180 meters thick, why is not possible if there are organisms that also live on the moon planet Jupiter, Europa is covered with ice it?
Microbiologists Cynan Ellis-Evans of the UK Antarctic survey agencies also dumbfounded by this discovery. "This discovery (animal), first on the environment under a layer of ice which is a complex organism." He also explained that previously had found similar things in the area of the ice sheet began to melt, but there has never been the discovery that just below the ice. But he also stated that the animal might have swum so far and get lost in there, so the area is not their permanent habitat.
But Kim, one of the scientists involved in the discovery were dubious allegations of 'lost animal' it. The location of the discovery that more than 19 km away from the open ocean.
Bindschadler and his team just drill a hole diameter of approximately 20 cm and only observe a very small waters. That is, it is probable that there are two organisms that swim that far and then trapped in the narrow waters.
Indeed, scientists are still puzzled what the animal food sources. According to Kim, if microbes could produce its own food from chemicals in the ocean, but complex animals like Amphipod it can not. ref: kompas
"At first we assumed there was no (animal) anything down there," said NASA scientist Robert Bindschadler, who presented the findings following the videotape, on Wednesday (17/03/2010) at the American Geophysical Union meeting. Animals with a length of 3 inches it was recorded by the camera about two minutes. Shrimp-like animals that is precisely Lyssianasid Amphipod, not shrimp, but had a relationship with the family crustaceans. Of course this invention is not trivial because the discovery would challenge the thinking about a minimum requirement to living organisms. If there is a type of shrimp that can live under a layer of ice 180 meters thick, why is not possible if there are organisms that also live on the moon planet Jupiter, Europa is covered with ice it?
Microbiologists Cynan Ellis-Evans of the UK Antarctic survey agencies also dumbfounded by this discovery. "This discovery (animal), first on the environment under a layer of ice which is a complex organism." He also explained that previously had found similar things in the area of the ice sheet began to melt, but there has never been the discovery that just below the ice. But he also stated that the animal might have swum so far and get lost in there, so the area is not their permanent habitat.But Kim, one of the scientists involved in the discovery were dubious allegations of 'lost animal' it. The location of the discovery that more than 19 km away from the open ocean.
Bindschadler and his team just drill a hole diameter of approximately 20 cm and only observe a very small waters. That is, it is probable that there are two organisms that swim that far and then trapped in the narrow waters.
Indeed, scientists are still puzzled what the animal food sources. According to Kim, if microbes could produce its own food from chemicals in the ocean, but complex animals like Amphipod it can not. ref: kompas
