I-Antarctica yaziwa ngokusingqongileyo okungqwabalala nokubanda, namaqondo obushushu ehla kakhulu ngaphantsi kweqondo lomkhenkce. Nangona kunjalo, into elele phantsi komkhenkce inokukothusa. NgoSeptemba 2017, izazinzulu ziye zatyhila ukuba kunokubakho ihlabathi elifihlakeleyo lezilwanyana kunye nezityalo ezihlala kwimiqolomba efudumeleyo phantsi komkhenkce we-Antarctica.
Le miqolomba yenziwe bubushushu obuveliswa ziintaba-mlilo eziqhumayo ngaphantsi komkhenkce, nto leyo eyenza indawo epholileyo kwindawo enomkhenkce. Oku kufunyenweyo kuye kwabangela imincili phakathi kwezazinzulu njengoko kubonisa ukuba kusenokubakho iintlobo zezilwanyana ezingaziwayo ezihlala kwindawo ekwakucingwa ukuba ayinakwenzeka.
IMount Erebus yintaba-mlilo yesibini ephezulu eAntarctica, emva kweNtaba iSidley, kunye neyona ntaba-mlilo isemazantsi eMhlabeni. Ngomphakamo oziimitha ezingama-3,684, ikwiSiqithi saseRoss, isiqithi esenziwe ziintaba-mlilo ezine kuLwandle lweRoss. Ibisebenza malunga ne-1.3 yezigidi zeminyaka.
Imiqolomba, ekhutshwe ngumphunga osuka kwezo ntaba-mlilo, ilula kwaye inokufikelela kumaqondo obushushu angama-25 ngokukaCelsius (77° F), abaphandi bathi, oko kuphakamisa ukuba nokwenzeka kobukho bezityalo nezilwanyana ezinzulu ngaphantsi komhlaba onomkhenkce.
Le miqolomba yaphononongwa ngexesha lophononongo olubanzi olukhokelwa yi KwiYunivesithi yesizwe yaseAustralia. Uhlalutyo lwe-forensic lweesampulu zomhlaba ezivela kwimiqolomba lubonise umkhondo othakazelisayo we-DNA evela kwi-algae, mosses, kunye nezilwanyana ezincinci. Nangona ininzi ye-DNA yayifana ne-mosses, i-algae, kunye ne-invertebrates efunyenwe kwenye indawo e-Antarctica, ayizizo zonke izilandelelwano ezinokuchongwa ngokupheleleyo.
Phakathi kwe-DNA engachazwanga efunyenwe kwiindawo zentaba-mlilo, owona mdlalo usondeleyo izazinzulu zinokuwufumana zii-arthropods. Olu didi lwezilwanyana lubandakanya oonokrwece bangaphandle kunye namalungu adityanisiweyo kwaye lubandakanya ngaphezu kwesigidi seentlobo ezaziwayo, ukusuka kwiikreyifishi ukuya kwi-centipedes ukuya kwii-copepods ezincinci.
IArthropods ziye zafunyanwa kwenye indawo kwilizwekazi lase-Antarctic, kuqukwa kwiindawo ezivulekileyo ezibumba nje i-0.3 ekhulwini (okanye ngaphantsi) ye-Antarctica engagqunywanga ngumkhenkce. Kule mimandla, ubomi kufuneka bujamelane kungekuphela nje nokubanda okugqithisileyo kodwa nokoma okugqithisileyo. Nangona ubuninzi belizwekazi bugqunywe ngumkhenkce omalunga neemayile ezi-3 (iikhilomitha ezi-5) ubukhulu kwiindawo ezithile, imimandla engaphakathi ye-Antarctica ifumana umyinge wee-intshi ezi-2 kuphela (iisentimitha ezi-5) zemvula – ikakhulu ikhephu – nyaka ngamnye.
Kodwa ngaphandle kweemeko ezinzima ezikhoyo kude nonxweme lwayo, i-Antarctica ibamba i-biomes enkulu phantsi komkhenkce osaphononongwa zizazinzulu.
Umphandi ophambili uCeridwen Fraser wathi: “Sicinga ukuba iAntarctica iyindawo eyinkangala. “Kodwa nakuloo ndawo imbi kakhulu ubomi buyakhula kwiindawo ezimangalisayo – kumatye aphezu kweentaba, kumazantsi omkhenkce wolwandle, ‘kwiintlango’ ezomileyo – kutheni kungenjalo nakule miqolomba ifudumeleyo nenobubele, igalelwe ngumphunga phakathi komkhenkce. nelitye?”
EMpuma ye-Antarctica, iLake Vostok ingcwatywe ngaphantsi kweemayile ezi-2.3 (iikhilomitha ezi-3.7) zomkhenkce kwaye ayizange ibe kufuphi nendawo evulekileyo malunga ne-15 yezigidi zeminyaka. Iisampulu ezithathwe echibini kuphononongo olungahambelaniyo zivelise ulandelelwano lwemfuza ye-3,507 yeentlobo ezaziwayo, ngokutsho kophononongo lwe-2013, kunye neentlobo ze-10,000 ezingekaziwa kwisayensi. Izazinzulu zikwafumene iintlobo ezomeleleyo zebhaktheriya kuthungelwano lwamanzi alulwelo anetyuwa afunyenwe kwi-Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys., ebonisa ngokumangalisayo, ukuwa okubomvu kwegazi lokuphuma kwentsimbi.
Ukufunyaniswa kwe-DNA kwiNtaba ye-Erebus kunokumela kuphela iqhezu leentlobo ezahlukeneyo zobomi obugcinwe kwimiqolomba yomkhenkce yentaba-mlilo. I-Antarctica ilikhaya leentaba-mlilo ezingaphezu kwe-100, nganye kuzo inokusingatha uthungelwano lwemiqolomba yomkhenkce kunye neetonela.
Ukuqukumbela, i-Antarctica inokuba nzima ukufikelela kuyo kwaye uyiphonononge, kodwa kukho iindawo ezinomngeni ngakumbi. Izazinzulu ezininzi zikholelwa ukuba ukuqonda ubomi kunye nommandla ongaphantsi komhlaba kwimozulu embi ye-Antarctica kunokuboleka imikhondo kubomi obunokwenzeka kwiindawo ezikwiindawo ezigqithisileyo-ezinje ngoMars.
Uphononongo lwapapashwa okokuqala kwijenali Ibhayoloji yePolar. Ngo-Agasti 17, 2017.
