Octopus DNA gives scientists a glimpse into Antarctica's ancient past, and a possible highly unstable future
Dec 25, 2023, 21:39 IST
For most of us, octopus mating is the kind of thing you'd bury deep beneath the incognito tab of your browser history. But for a crack team of researchers studying Antarctic ice melt, it's a subject they can't get enough of – and not for the reasons you might think!
Under the icy grip of Antarctica, where sunlight struggles to penetrate and temperatures plummet well below zero, thrives a fascinating creature: the Turquet's octopus. Its DNA, a tangled tale of past dalliances and daring encounters, holds the key to understanding a continent's precarious future.
This half-foot wonder lays only a handful of oversized eggs on the seabed, investing heavily in their survival and growth. Coupled with the region's unpredictable currents, this means the species rarely strays far from its familiar haunts, dotting the icy landscape around Antarctica.
Scientists, like modern-day octopus whisperers, have cracked the genetic code of these eight-legged time capsules. By studying the DNA of separate populations, they stumbled upon a remarkable truth: around 125,000 years ago, when Earth enjoyed a warmth akin to today, an ice-free corridor snaked across Antarctica. Through this watery highway, Turquet's octopuses embarked on scandalous intermingling with distant cousins they'd barely met before, their genes weaving a tapestry of shared ancestry.
But before you start daydreaming about octopus rom-coms, this revelation throws up a chilling concern. If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) melted during a period similar to our current climate, it suggests its future stability is worryingly fragile. Studies show that a potential WAIS collapse could unleash a torrent of meltwater, raising sea levels by a staggering 3.3 to 5 metres.
The study also uncovers a double whammy – two distinct periods of WAIS collapse, one in the mid-Pliocene and another during the Last Interglacial, a warm spell eerily similar to our own. This chilling coincidence serves as a stark reminder: the ice sheet has buckled before, and it could well do so again.
The consequences of a WAIS collapse are nothing short of catastrophic. Coastal cities housing millions worldwide would be submerged, ecosystems shattered, and the map of our planet forever altered. The fate of the WAIS hangs in the balance, and the time to act is now – not just for ourselves, but for the octopuses, the penguins, the seals, and all the creatures who call Antarctica home.
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Under the icy grip of Antarctica, where sunlight struggles to penetrate and temperatures plummet well below zero, thrives a fascinating creature: the Turquet's octopus. Its DNA, a tangled tale of past dalliances and daring encounters, holds the key to understanding a continent's precarious future.
This half-foot wonder lays only a handful of oversized eggs on the seabed, investing heavily in their survival and growth. Coupled with the region's unpredictable currents, this means the species rarely strays far from its familiar haunts, dotting the icy landscape around Antarctica.
Scientists, like modern-day octopus whisperers, have cracked the genetic code of these eight-legged time capsules. By studying the DNA of separate populations, they stumbled upon a remarkable truth: around 125,000 years ago, when Earth enjoyed a warmth akin to today, an ice-free corridor snaked across Antarctica. Through this watery highway, Turquet's octopuses embarked on scandalous intermingling with distant cousins they'd barely met before, their genes weaving a tapestry of shared ancestry.
But before you start daydreaming about octopus rom-coms, this revelation throws up a chilling concern. If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) melted during a period similar to our current climate, it suggests its future stability is worryingly fragile. Studies show that a potential WAIS collapse could unleash a torrent of meltwater, raising sea levels by a staggering 3.3 to 5 metres.
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The consequences of a WAIS collapse are nothing short of catastrophic. Coastal cities housing millions worldwide would be submerged, ecosystems shattered, and the map of our planet forever altered. The fate of the WAIS hangs in the balance, and the time to act is now – not just for ourselves, but for the octopuses, the penguins, the seals, and all the creatures who call Antarctica home.