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Scientists Find Ancient Ecosystem In Israeli Cave
An anonymous reader writes "Israeli scientists said on Wednesday they had discovered a prehistoric ecosystem dating back millions of years. Scientists were called in and soon found eight previously unknown species of crustaceans and invertebrates similar to scorpions. The cave, which Hebrew University Professor Amos Frumkin said is 'unique in the world,' had been sealed off from the outside world since its surface is situated under a layer of chalk that is impenetrable to water."
Question is, will these new species be able to survive now that they have been opened up to the outside world?
"Every species we examined had no eyes which means they lost their sight due to evolution," said Dimantman. How do the scientists know that considering the so called blind scorpion was dead and the others were live. Perhaps eyes looked differently and evolved into what they now expect. For all they know those creatures could have had some motion imaging sensors that were eyes. Anyhow here is a picture of the scorpion. What that article also failed to mention was that all but one scorpion were found alive:
k nown_Prehistoric_Species_Discovered_In_Israel_Cave .html
The invertebrate animals found in the cave - four seawater and freshwater crustaceans and four terrestial species - are related to but different from other, similar life forms known to scientists. The species have been sent to biological experts in both Israel and abroad for further analysis and dating. It is estimated that these species are millions of years old. Also found in the cave were bacteria that serve as the basic food source in the ecosystem.
The animals found there were all discovered live, except for a blind species of scorpion, although Dr. Dimentman is certain that live scorpions will be discovered in further explorations and also probably an animal or animals which feed on the scorpions.
http://www.playfuls.com/news_001136_Previously_Un
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Never mind that. The cave has been sealed for 5 million years. It's so dark that everything in it has evolved away from eyesight. We're talking GReat Underground Empire levels of darkness.
> LOOK
Nothing to see here. It is dark. It is so dark that you are not merely likely, you are absolutely certain, to be eaten by a grue.
*** You have died ***
Chemolithoautotrophs, probably. Microorganisms that are metabolising compounds from the rocks to get their energy, then everything bigger eats the next step smaller below them. Similar to deep-smoker vent communities.
the more accurate the calculations became, the more the concepts tended to vanish into thin air. R. S. Mulliken
Or it was just God going "Nothing for you to see here..."
"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."- Friedrich Nietzsche
http://www.huji.ac.il/cgi-bin/dovrut/dovrut_search _eng.pl?mesge114907691205976587
It's 2-3 times longer than the wire service story and answers the 'what they're eating' question and others.
Scorpions? Long passageways? If you find a Mayan temple down there DO NOT GO INSIDE.
Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
In Mediterranean countries with antiquities everywhere (Israel, Greece, Turkey), all children are taught that if you find any artifact, bones, cave or whatever, you don't touch it and you inform someone so experts can be brought in. It's like "Don't get into strangers' cars!" in other countries -- they have public service announcements about archeology during cartoons.
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