Ancient ecosystem found beneath Taylor Glacier — microbes trapped for 1.5 million years

A study published in Nature Geoscience has found a complex and active ecosystem of eukaryotic microorganisms beneath Antarctica's Taylor Glacier, the source of the famous Blood Falls. The organisms have survived in near-unchanged form for approximately 1.5 million years, since Antarctica was a much warmer place. The distinctive red-brown colour of the outflow is caused by iron oxidation in the water.

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