Many New Species Found Under Antarctica 173
gt_mattex writes to tell us The Globe and Mail is reporting that quite a few new species have been found in the ocean beneath the Antarctic ice. From the article: "It is too early to say exactly how many new species were discovered in the Antarctic, many in the Weddell Sea, where ice crushed the ship of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton in 1915. The scientists saw more strange creatures than familiar ones, says Ron O'Dor, an expert in octopuses and squid from Halifax's Dalhousie University and the chief scientist in charge of producing the first marine life census of the planet by 2010."
Amazing (Score:5, Insightful)
Anyone else worried after reading this? (Score:5, Insightful)
That soon we'll find ways to make ocean life go extinct in those parts which so far relativly are protected from our interferance.. With our normal area's of fishing drying up quickly, how long will it take before we go and do our thing there too
shouldn't it be... (Score:3, Insightful)
I get suspicious... (Score:2, Insightful)
It seems to happen with some regularity.
It seems to me, if you find a fossil of an animal you believe to be extinct, you will probably test it with the assumption it is of relatively old age.
I think you probably find what you're looking for.
Anyway, not trying to start a flame war. But that's probably going to happen anyway. ("YOU IGNORANT BASTARD DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW DATING WORKS!!!")
Re:Let me get in my boat before you start research (Score:2, Insightful)
that's a bizarre reaction (Score:4, Insightful)
a colossal school of herring? off new jersey? isn't that good news?
why the despondent reaction to that news item? there are certainly tons of news items to find depressing reactions to about ocean life and man's hungry stomach... but that particular nugget of news is reason to cheer, don't you think?
New...? (Score:5, Insightful)
Those critter are most likely checking out the mini-subs and shaking their heads and thinking "Oh, look! A new species!"
Re:Life census of the ocean? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:that's a bizarre reaction (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:that's a bizarre reaction (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I get suspicious... (Score:3, Insightful)
As to how you know the critter is extinct: You don't, not with 100% certainty. But if it's over a few million years old, it's a pretty good bet. Most species don't last all that long, geologically speaking. And you're probably also rather misled by the popular reporting. The "Jurassic Shrimp" is actually a new species within a genus (Neoglyphea) with only one previously-known member, which genus is part of a family (Glypheidae)that was previously thought to be extinct. As one of the discoverers said, "the group is less completely extinct than was thought."