Paleontologists discovered fragments of a 40‑million‑year‑old hip bone and skull belonging to a frog on Seymour Island in Antarctica. The shape of the bones revealed that the frog belonged to the Calyptocephalellidae family, which is known from South America. Today, members of this family live in the humid and warm regions of the Andes Mountains. This finding indicates that around 40 million years ago, Antarctica also had similar climate conditions and was home to animals such as reptiles and amphibians. Thomas Mörs, a paleontologist from the Swedish Museum of Natural History and the lead researcher of the study, noted that they are curious about what other animals lived on the continent when ice sheets began to form there.
The Cold, Icy Giant!
We are going to learn about Antarctica, the giant icy continent at the bottom of the world. Picture the biggest, whitest desert. Now imagine it’s all ice and snow! It is the coldest, windiest and driest desert on the planet. Did you know that it is the least populated continent on the planet? Most who go are scientists who want to study the ice, the weather, and the amazing animals. Animals such as the adorable waddling penguins, and the large seals that swim in the icy waters. They all have thick blubber as insulation to keep them warm. They’re the real south snow kings. Antarctica. It is a giant playground. It is our planet’s frozen treasure and we all need to take care of it. Antarctica is extremely important. It has a giant, natural laboratory. It is an amazing place with cool and unique creatures. It is a desert like no other. It is a special place to take care of.
