Searching for new life in Antarctic ice caves

UNKNOWN lifeforms might live in caves in Antarctica that were hollowed out of ice by volcanoes, scientists in Australia said.

Scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) found traces of DNA from algae, mosses, small animals and previously unknown lifeforms deep inside caves hollowed out by steam from the active volcano Mount Erebus on Ross Island.

“It can be really warm inside the caves – up to 25°C in some caves,” lead researcher Ceridwen Fraser, from ANU’s Fenner School of Environment and Society, said in a statement.

“You could wear a T-shirt in there and be pretty comfortable,” Fraser added. “There’s light near the cave mouths, and light filters deeper into some caves where the overlying ice is thin.”

Most of the DNA found in the caves was similar to DNA from plants and animals – including mosses, algae and invertebrates – found elsewhere in Antarctica, but not all sequences could be fully identified, Fraser said.

“The results from this study give us a tantalising glimpse of what might live beneath the ice in Antarctica – there might even be new species of animals and plants.”

Co-researcher Laurie Connell from the University of Maine said finding DNA did not prove the lifeforms were still living in the ice caves.

“The next steps will be to take a closer look at the caves and search for living organisms,” Connell said. “If they exist, it opens the door to an exciting new world.” – dpa