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Nature & Environment

Scandinavian trees 'survived last Ice Age'

By T.K. Randall
March 5, 2012 · Comment icon 10 comments

Image Credit: CC 2.5 Stefan Wernli
New research has challenged the idea that Scandinavian conifer trees all died in the last Ice Age.
Up until now it was thought that the harsh conditions of the Ice Age had killed off all the trees in the region and that the current generation of trees had descended from those that moved north after the ice had retreated. As it turns out however some of the trees did survive the Ice Age, most likely in small isolated pockets on mountain peaks, shorelines and islands.
Modern trees in Scandinavia were thought to descend from species that migrated north when the ice melted 9,000 years ago. But research suggests some conifers survived on mountain peaks that protruded from the enormous ice sheet, on islands and in coastal areas.


Source: BBC News | Comments (10)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by Mr Right Wing 12 years ago
They have pine trees in the Alps so I dont see why not Are ancient Nordic tales of trolls Neanderthals? Looking at my neighbour I think they'll be the next discovery.
Comment icon #2 Posted by questionmark 12 years ago
They have pine trees in the Alps so I dont see why not Are ancient Nordic tales of trolls Neanderthals? Looking at my neighbour I think they'll be the next discovery. The question is: where did they survive? Because we know several habitats that were little affected by glaciation even though glaciation was all around it. The upper Danube Valley comes to mind. And as far as plants go, all you need is one or two surviving specimens of a species for the plant to continue spreading.
Comment icon #3 Posted by Doug1029 12 years ago
The question is: where did they survive? Because we know several habitats that were little affected by glaciation even though glaciation was all around it. The upper Danube Valley comes to mind. And as far as plants go, all you need is one or two surviving specimens of a species for the plant to continue spreading. I have seen photos of trees growing in a thin soil right on top of the ice. There was also an item on the Science Channel that showed an eight-inch thick soil developed in permafrost on top of a frozen lake with about four feet of clear ice beneath the soil layer. Now if I could get... [More]
Comment icon #4 Posted by questionmark 12 years ago
I have seen photos of trees growing in a thin soil right on top of the ice. There was also an item on the Science Channel that showed an eight-inch thick soil developed in permafrost on top of a frozen lake with about four feet of clear ice beneath the soil layer. Now if I could get some chronologies from them. Doug I have absolutely no doubt that a Nordman Fir can survive a prolonged period in ice, I was thinking more along the lines of multiplying which is not so easy in the cold. After all we have think that ice ages last many thousands of years and are well beyond the life span of any tree... [More]
Comment icon #5 Posted by tailormaneinafog 12 years ago
Scandinavian trees 'survived last Ice Age'. The conditions of the Arctic during the last ice age hint at a warm current entering the basin imv. It's not the first time that controversy over long held beliefs of the arctic climate has surfaced. This extra current strength fits with the extra tidal forces predicted in an exotic dark matter universe.
Comment icon #6 Posted by highdesert50 12 years ago
Hot springs would certainly be havens for a variety of lifeforms and exist as far north as Spitsbergen.
Comment icon #7 Posted by Doug1029 12 years ago
I have absolutely no doubt that a Nordman Fir can survive a prolonged period in ice, I was thinking more along the lines of multiplying which is not so easy in the cold. After all we have think that ice ages last many thousands of years and are well beyond the life span of any tree. Some how those trees standing on top of the glacier were able to germinate and survive there. I doubt they were doing very well, but they were alive. There are krumholz in Rocky Mountain National Park that are adjacent to some small permanent ice/snow fields. They're growing on soil, but permanent ice is less than ... [More]
Comment icon #8 Posted by Mistress of Shadows 12 years ago
Whoa, that is awesome that they survived the ice age! I love it when things like this happen.
Comment icon #9 Posted by Rolci 12 years ago
If the only logical explanation, which by the way you can find on www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCxWUkaar5k, was common knowledge, articles like this wouldn't need to be written. Sad state of affairs, being brainwashed by mainstream western education.
Comment icon #10 Posted by icegamer 12 years ago
bigpoint and 20th century fox announced a new browser game ice age online http://www.dotmmo.com/ice-age-online-8718.html


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