Sea-ice ecosystem possibly triggered evolution of baleen whales and penguins
Thursday, April 18, 2013 - 14:07
in Earth & Climate
The origin of the unique plankton ecosystem of the circum-Antarctic Southern Ocean can be traced back to the emergence of the Antarctic ice sheets approximately 33.6 million years ago. This discovery shows that the development of the sea-ice ecosystem possibly triggered further adaptation and evolution of larger organisms such as baleen whales and penguins.