Imagine finding something incredible, buried in ice for thousands of years. That’s exactly what happened to a group of scientists which, analyzing champions of ice taken from an ancient Tibetan glacier, has discovered over 1,700 frozen virusesmost of them never seen before.
An exceptional find
During the analysis of an ice core extracted from the gigantic glacier Guliyalocated in Tibet, researchers have identified these dormant viruses, some of which date back more than 41,000 years. As reported by theOhio State Universitythis find provides a “pristine snapshot” of climate and environmental conditions thousands of years ago, showing how the world and the glacier went through periods of warming and cooling.
This study, led by ZhiPingZhong and published in the magazine Nature Geosciencesopens new perspectives on the link between viruses and climate change. Before this research, the way viruses react to large-scale climate change was little studied.
Frozen Viruses: what the ice tells us
This is not the first time that scientists have found ancient viruses in ice samples, but the discovery made in the glacier Guliya represents a fifty-fold increase in the number of viruses identified compared to previous research. Of these 1,700 virusesabout three-quarters are completely new to science, while the remainder show genetic similarities to already known organisms from other parts of the world.
Some of these viruses may have been carried from regions such as the Middle East or even the Arctic, suggesting that the viruses travelled and became adapt yourself in the course of millenniThe oldest “viral community” found in these samples dates back to about 11,500 years ago, a time when the global climate was transitioning from the last glacial phase to the warmest epoch. of the Holocenein which we still live today.
A reflection on the future
Although the researchers assured that these viruses do not pose a threat to humans, their study highlights a crucial point: the link between virus and climate change. This leads us to consider a future in which accelerated thawing could release ancient viruses from other, potentially dangerous, ice sheets.
Personally, I find this discovery both fascinating and disturbing. On the one hand, it offers us a window into the Earth’s distant past; on the other, it reminds us how delicate the balance of our planet is and how little we know about the risks that we could cope in a world that is changing so rapidly.
What can we do?
This discovery should make us reflect on the importance of better understanding our environment and the effects of change climate. What do you think? Are you concerned about the implications of these discoveries? Leave a comment below and continue to follow us to stay updated on the latest scientific and environmental news.
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