A team from the UK and Germany, which includes experts from Northumbria University's Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, discovered a forest soil from the Cretaceous period in the seabed near the South Pole.The soil dates to 90 million years ago. If you're not familiar with New Zealand, think of the forests of the Olympic peninsula in Washington State or the coast of British Columbia, which are similar.
Their analysis of the pristinely preserved roots, pollen and spores show that the world at that time was a lot warmer than previously thought, with rainforests in Antarctica similar to the forests we have in New Zealand today.
The international team's findings are published today (1 April) as the lead story in the scientific journal Nature.
If you need hard evidence of dramatic climatic variation in the absence of human activity, this is it. Climate varies naturally, with or without human help, get over it. Be mentally prepared to do what humans are good at - coping with whatever comes.
