A photo from open sources
Dr. Patricia Ryberg of the University of Kansas studied Antarctic flora of Triassic times. 250 million years ago in Antarctica, like the rest of the planet, was dominated by heat-loving vegetation. At the beginning of the Triassic, all land was a single continent – Pangea, however, Antarctica was located in high latitudes and in it Dark polar nights already existed. Ryberg decided to study how the flora experienced these nights and the lack of photosynthesis. Exploring Triassic sediments in Antarctica, scientists found hiding in rock strata of petrified leaves – they indicated seasonal the nature of the discharge, that is, the Antarctic forest should have been mainly consist of deciduous trees experiencing adverse periods just like modern temperate trees. Scientists conducted a cell-molecular analysis of fossilized wood, during which checked the structure of the cells of the tree rings. Cells plants that prepare for hibernation develop more thick wall, wood becomes denser, such cells differ from plant cells during development and expansion crowns .. Analysis showed that trees of that period were evergreen. Then a carbon analysis of the fossils was carried out – before hibernation, the plants create a reserve of carbon and stop grow. Carbon analysis summarized research data and demonstrated that in the forests of Antarctica existed as evergreen and deciduous trees – that is, trees of different belts coexisted in parallel.
Antarctica Plants
