Secrets of Antarctica's fossilised forests (BBC)

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By Howard Falcon-Lang
Royal Holloway, London

It may be hard to believe, but Antarctica was once covered in towering forests.

One hundred million years ago, the Earth was in the grip of an extreme Greenhouse Effect.

The polar ice caps had all but melted and rainforests inhabited by dinosaurs existed in their place.

These Antarctic ecosystems were adapted to the long months of winter darkness that occur at the poles, and were truly bizarre.

But if global warming continues unabated, could these ancient forests be a taste of things to come?
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12378934