In the Arctic found the remains of turtles

In the polar regions of Canada, scientists discovered the fossilized shells of turtles belonging to the populations living in tropical climates. This finding may shed light on the biological history of the Earth the time when the abundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect created by it contributed to the formation of a hot climate throughout the world.

Who lived in Asia freshwater turtle species Aurarachelys, under assumptions of scholars migrated to North America via the North Pole, about 90 million years ago. Found the remains prove that the journey passed through the polar regions, and not around Alaska, as previously assumed. The study of the remains has allowed us to learn a lot about how the ancient creatures adapt to changes in the environment said geophysicist John Tarduno, who participated in the study finds. Ninety million years ago the Arctic Ocean was warm and ice-free. Water from the river is not mixed with ocean water and forms a huge freshwater areas near river estuaries, which allowed the turtles to move away from the mainland, while remaining in a familiar environment.

A team of researchers has found the remains Aurarachelys on a small island in Excel Heiberg west coast of Greenland. To the north of the island under water drawn volcanic mountains that make up the Alpha Ridge. If the assumption is that the Alpha Ridge submerged during recent geological change, truly it is possible to imagine how the turtle to travel to Canada from Eurasia, swimming across from island to island. Further study of the remains will give scientists an idea of ​​how animals existed in a world where the carbon dioxide content was 8-16 times greater than in the modern world at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. It is possible that the island, runs along the Alpha Ridge, were raised from the bottom of the same geological transformations that led to the release to the atmosphere an amount of carbon dioxide.

Although fossils can not lay claim to being the oldest turtles in the region, however, this is the first example of the Asian reptile found in North America. Aurarachelys  just the latest of many other discoveries made by the team of John Tarduno while working on the island Excel Heiberg. Previously, scientists have discovered the remains of other freshwater turtles and fish, as well as the remains of an ancient crocodile.

Similar findings were the remains of animals and plants allow a complete picture of the world, supersaturated with carbon dioxide. From these data it is possible to give a description of the Earth during the 100-40 million years Very warm world where reptiles lived in the Arctic and in the South Pole palms grew. Hard to believe that 55 million years ago near the North Pole could swim, and the average annual temperature is about 40 degrees Celsius.