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Life & Evolution

Time to chill

New fossil finds from an ancient lake indicate when Antarctica dipped below freezing

Well-preserved fossils deposited in the sediments of an Antarctic lake about 14 million years ago pin down when a large part of the now-icy continent most recently dipped below freezing. The new findings chronicle the changing climate of the region and answer long-standing questions about when and how quickly Antarctica cooled.

ANCIENT LAKE DWELLER This fossilized tiny crustacean, an ostracod, lived among mosses in a freshwater lake in Antarctica about 14 million years ago, when climate across a large part of the now-icy continent dipped below freezing. | ~~ M. Williams

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