Amber Unearthed: Antarctica’s Tropical Past Revealed

In a frosty twist, scientists discovered "Pine Island amber" in Pine Island Bay, West Antarctica, unearthed from 946m deep by the MARUM-MeBo70 rig aboard the Polarstern icebreaker during a 2017 expedition. Dating back 90 million years to the Cretaceous period, this high-quality amber hints at lush, resin-producing jungles once thriving near the South Pole. Beyond supporting fossil evidence, the find offers valuable insights into life adapting to greenhouse-rich atmospheres—timely as we navigate today’s climate challenges.