Scientists have discovered an ancient whale cemetery whose remains contain species that have not been documented
Scientists have discovered an ancient whale graveyard containing remains dating back 5.3 million years. The site includes bones of baleen and toothed whales, along with living organisms such as jellyfish, tube worms, snail-like creatures, sea cucumbers, and shells. Researchers suggest some species found on the remains may not have been previously documented. The study, published in the journal Nature, highlights factors contributing to the preservation of the bones over millions of years, including their density, depth, and a thin layer of minerals from seawater.
Istraživači su tokom više zarona podmornicom 2023. godine mapirali područje i prikupili uzorke s pet lokacija na kojima su pronađeni ostaci lešina i fosila, uključujući lobanje kljunastih i usatih kitova.
Prema studiji objavljenoj u srijedu u časopisu Nature, najstarije kosti stare su 5,3 miliona godina.
Na ostacima kitova žive meduze, cjevasti crvi, zmijače, morski krastavci, čučavi jastozi i školjke. Naučnici navode da je vjerovatno riječ i o vrstama koje do sada nisu bile dokumentovane.
Xikun Song, biolog iz Instituta za nauku i inženjering dubokog mora pri Kineskoj akademiji nauka, objasnio je da su za nastanak ovakvih podvodnih zajednica ključni velika veličina kita i posebna hemija njegovih kostiju.
"Istovremeno, sama priroda dubokog okeana čini ova mjesta izuzetno teškim za naučnike da ih pronađu", rekao je.
Autori studije smatraju da je više faktora doprinijelo očuvanju kostiju milionima godina. Kosti su dovoljno guste da odole napadima crva koji se hrane kostima, nalaze se dovoljno duboko da ih ne zatrpaju prašina i rastresite čestice, a dodatno ih je zaštitio tanki mineralni sloj iz okolne morske vode.
Zašto je na tom mjestu uginulo toliko kitova, još nije potpuno razjašnjeno. Prema istraživačima, moguće je da su živjeli u tom području i umirali prirodnom smrću, dok su neki možda stradali od iscrpljenosti ili bolesti povezanih s dubokim zaranjanjem. Oblik terena, nalik slovu V, mogao je usmjeravati njihove ostatke prema istom području.
Scientists have discovered an ancient whale graveyard containing remains dating back 5.3 million years. The site includes bones of baleen and toothed whales, along with living organisms such as jellyfish, tube worms, snail-like creatures, sea cucumbers, and shells. Researchers suggest some species found on the remains may not have been previously documented. The study, published in the journal Nature, highlights factors contributing to the preservation of the bones over millions of years, including their density, depth, and a thin layer of minerals from seawater.
Bias read (Center): The article presents scientific findings without overt ideological framing. It focuses on biological discoveries and does not engage with politically charged topics, policies, or figures.
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