Antarctic plants and animal life survived ice ages

Antarctic springtail - Cryptopygus antarcticus. False colour, scanning electron-micrograph. Cryptopygus is one of the most successful terrestrial arthropods to have colonised the Antarctic continent. Although only 1-2 mm long and weighing only a few micro-grams, it is one of the largest animals to complete its lifecycle on the Antarctic continent. Credit: Pete Bucktrout Springtails, mites, worms and plant life could help solve the mystery of Antarctica’s glacial history according to new research published in the journal Science this week.