You won’t believe what scientists just dug up in Antarctica. 🧊 They found fossils of a giant superpredator that ruled the seas millions of years ago — we’re talking bigger than a great white shark! This beast had massive teeth and probably snacked on anything that crossed its path. The craziest part? It lived in what used to be a warm, tropical ocean right where all that ice is now. Imagine something that fierce lurking under the waves back then. Stick around, because this discovery is wild and changes everything we thought we knew about ancient Antarctica! Credit:
CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/:
Phorusrhacos longissimus: by Museo [UV] Historia Natural, https://skfb.ly/oOZRT
Argentavis: by TheAquaticSpinosaurid, https://skfb.ly/pousE
Penguin: by gozdemrl, https://skfb.ly/ovGK8
Lurker: by HighPolyDensity, https://skfb.ly/oOAAw
Color Squid: by webguyz1, https://skfb.ly/6zZWz
Orca: by Chicy3, https://skfb.ly/o6PWE
Person: by JDunn, https://skfb.ly/QFI8
Prasiola crispa: by Wilfried Bauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/, CC BY-SA 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prasiola_crispa.jpg
CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/:
Eudyptula minor: by Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eudyptula_minor_(AM_LB146)_601572.jpg
Amundsen: by Cmichel67, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amundsen–Scott_South_Pole_Station_01.jpg
Deschampsia: by Lomvi2, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deschampsia_antarctica.jpg
Marambio y el Hercules: by Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation), CC BY 2.5 AR https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Base_Marambio_y_el_Hercules.jpg
CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/:
Skeleton of Titanis: by Amanda, https://flic.kr/p/JAkoc, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skeleton_of_Titanis_at_the_Florida_Museum_of_Natural_History.jpg
McMurdo Fire Truck: by owamux, https://flic.kr/p/2q1Sc8v, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McMurdo_Fire_Truck.jpg
Basketball Gym: by owamux, https://flic.kr/p/2q2sxim, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McMurdo_Basketball_Gym.jpg
Antarctic Pearlwort: by Liam Quinn, https://flic.kr/p/9S3j9U, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antarctic_Pearlwort.jpg
Cartel Base Marambio: by Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación, https://flic.kr/p/2o6B95a, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cartel_Base_Marambio,_Antártida_Argentina.jpg
Base Esperanza: by Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación, https://flic.kr/p/2o6vmE5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cultura_es_Soberanía._Base_Esperanza,_Antártida_Argentina.jpg
Iceberg A23A: by MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC, https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2025-02-21, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iceberg_A23A_Approaching_South_Georgia_Island_(MODIS_2025-02-21).jpg
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/:
Phorusrhacos longissimus: by Museo [UV] Historia Natural, https://skfb.ly/oOZRT
Argentavis: by TheAquaticSpinosaurid, https://skfb.ly/pousE
Penguin: by gozdemrl, https://skfb.ly/ovGK8
Lurker: by HighPolyDensity, https://skfb.ly/oOAAw
Color Squid: by webguyz1, https://skfb.ly/6zZWz
Orca: by Chicy3, https://skfb.ly/o6PWE
Person: by JDunn, https://skfb.ly/QFI8
Prasiola crispa: by Wilfried Bauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/, CC BY-SA 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prasiola_crispa.jpg
CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/:
Eudyptula minor: by Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eudyptula_minor_(AM_LB146)_601572.jpg
Amundsen: by Cmichel67, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amundsen–Scott_South_Pole_Station_01.jpg
Deschampsia: by Lomvi2, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deschampsia_antarctica.jpg
Marambio y el Hercules: by Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation), CC BY 2.5 AR https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Base_Marambio_y_el_Hercules.jpg
CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/:
Skeleton of Titanis: by Amanda, https://flic.kr/p/JAkoc, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skeleton_of_Titanis_at_the_Florida_Museum_of_Natural_History.jpg
McMurdo Fire Truck: by owamux, https://flic.kr/p/2q1Sc8v, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McMurdo_Fire_Truck.jpg
Basketball Gym: by owamux, https://flic.kr/p/2q2sxim, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McMurdo_Basketball_Gym.jpg
Antarctic Pearlwort: by Liam Quinn, https://flic.kr/p/9S3j9U, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antarctic_Pearlwort.jpg
Cartel Base Marambio: by Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación, https://flic.kr/p/2o6B95a, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cartel_Base_Marambio,_Antártida_Argentina.jpg
Base Esperanza: by Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación, https://flic.kr/p/2o6vmE5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cultura_es_Soberanía._Base_Esperanza,_Antártida_Argentina.jpg
Iceberg A23A: by MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC, https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2025-02-21, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iceberg_A23A_Approaching_South_Georgia_Island_(MODIS_2025-02-21).jpg
Animation is created by Bright Side.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/
Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV
Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz
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Stock materials (photos, footages and other):
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https://www.shutterstock.com
https://www.eastnews.ru
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For more videos and articles visit:
http://www.brightside.me
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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FunTranscript
00:01Antarctica wasn't always a frozen wasteland.
00:04A long time ago, it was full of life.
00:07And 56 million years ago, something terrifying stalked its jungles.
00:12A giant, flesh-eating bird.
00:15It was around 6 feet tall and weighed as much as a lion.
00:20For millions of years, nothing could challenge it.
00:23So why did it disappear?
00:25And could there be even bigger predators still hidden beneath the ice?
00:29Paleontologists found two massive claw bones in Antarctica,
00:34sharp, curved, and powerful, belonging to this bird.
00:39They were dug up from the Epresian-aged rocks of Seymour Island,
00:43which means they're around 40 to 50 million years old.
00:47Their shape left no doubt.
00:49These were the so-called terror birds.
00:52Their scientific name is Forest Rossidae,
00:55some of the most fearsome predators to ever walk the Earth.
01:00They were flightless and didn't even need wings.
01:03Instead, they could sprint at breakneck speeds like ostriches from a nightmare.
01:10For millions of years, these birds ruled South America.
01:14But now, for the first time, their presence has been confirmed in Antarctica.
01:19No surprise here.
01:21Back then, South America and Antarctica were still connected,
01:24allowing animals to easily commute between continents.
01:27So these birds probably migrated south to adapt to life on Antarctica's prehistoric landmass.
01:33It didn't just survive here, it thrived.
01:38But at some point, this nightmare of an animal vanished.
01:41Why?
01:42Most likely because of the temperature changes.
01:45Antarctica was cooling, slowly turning into the frozen wasteland we know today.
01:50Its prey may have declined, leaving the predator without enough food.
01:55Eventually, it disappeared, leaving no descendants behind.
01:59Researchers hope that they'll find a complete skeleton eventually.
02:04They're also wondering where there might be even bigger species waiting to be discovered.
02:09Perhaps these birds evolved into a completely new Antarctic lineage.
02:14But for now, all we have are two giant creepy claws.
02:20People often think that there are almost no animals or plants in Antarctica.
02:25But that's not true at all.
02:27Penguins waddle around.
02:29And forget the cute tiny ones.
02:31Antarctica used to have six-foot-tall monsters.
02:34The emperor penguins are the largest penguin species alive today.
02:39They can dive over 1,800 feet deep and hold their breath for over 20 minutes.
02:46There were giant ancient penguins around 38 million years ago.
02:50They were the size of humans.
02:52Fossils show they had long, sharp beaks, making them terrifying hunters of fish and squid.
02:59The fish there are also absolutely fascinating.
03:03Forget giant squids.
03:04Colossal squids are nightmares even bigger.
03:07Some reach over 40 feet long with massive, super-sharp beaks and eyes the size of dinner plates.
03:15Finally, orcas.
03:17The apex predators of the Antarctic Ocean.
03:20They hunt in packs, working together like a wolf pack of the sea to take down seals, fish, and even massive whales.
03:28There are even tiny plants like moss and algae.
03:33Antarctic hair grass and pearlwort.
03:36They somehow survive against all odds.
03:40There are many other myths going on about Antarctica.
03:43For example, some people think that when icebergs break off from glaciers,
03:47they immediately start drifting straight into the open ocean until they melt.
03:52But the reality is way more chaotic.
03:56First, when an iceberg breaks off from a glacier or ice shell,
03:59it has to deal with underwater obstacles.
04:02It can stay stuck on the seafloor for decades without moving.
04:06Then, they get caught in powerful whirlpools and spin in place for months.
04:11One iceberg, a 23A, spent nearly 40 years frozen in place before finally breaking free,
04:19only to get caught in a swirling ocean vortex for another eight months.
04:25After that, their paths are influenced by ocean currents, tides, winds, and even underwater topography.
04:32They don't just float freely.
04:34Their movements are full of literal unexpected twists.
04:38And speaking of glaciers, another strange rumor is that some humans can't travel more than 311 miles inland in Antarctica
04:46because of an impassable ice wall, freezing jet fuel, deadly winds, and no oxygen.
04:53But this is completely false.
04:56Antarctica has been explored by planes, vehicles, and even scientists on foot.
05:01There's an entire research station sitting at the South Pole.
05:05People live there all year long.
05:07The ice wall is real.
05:09A massive ice cliff rising above the ocean.
05:12But that isn't some secret barrier.
05:14It's an ice shell.
05:16These are thick slabs of ice that form when glaciers slowly flow off the land and spread over the ocean.
05:23Almost three-fourths of Antarctica's coastline is made up of them.
05:27But they don't form some giant ring around the world.
05:30Antarctica is one of the most extreme places on Earth.
05:34But we've conquered its challenges, and we keep learning more about it every year.
05:39That's why every year, millions of dollars are poured into keeping research stations running,
05:46protecting wildlife, and making sure the people who live there have everything they need.
05:51But where does all this money go?
05:54Well, Antarctica's stations are basically small cities.
05:58There's electricity, heating, water purification, food storage, and medical facilities.
06:05The biggest station, McMurdo, is basically a town with over 1,000 people in summer.
06:12It has everything from a fire station to a gym.
06:17The South Pole Station is super deep inlet, so it's one of the hardest places to supply.
06:23Getting food and fuel there requires airplanes flying thousands of miles in extreme cold.
06:28But the internet loves a good mystery.
06:33When Google Maps revealed what looked like a massive doorway in Antarctica,
06:38conspiracy theorists went wild.
06:40People joked about everything from Bigfoot's vacation home to a secret base.
06:45Or even a Star Trek spaceship hangar hidden in the ice.
06:50But there's a way simpler and less exciting explanation.
06:54It's actually a grounded iceberg.
06:55A chunk of ice that got stuck in shallow water and is now slowly melting.
07:01As ice moves across the landscape, it flows around bumps and obstacles, creating odd shapes.
07:07The process of melting, breaking apart, and refreezing can carve ice into unexpected forms.
07:14Antarctica also has incredibly strong downward-blowing winds that sculpt ice into dramatic formations over time.
07:21No secret doorway, unfortunately.
07:24And speaking of doors.
07:28For years, Ushuaia, Argentina has been called the gateway to Antarctica.
07:34The last stop before the icy continent.
07:37The place where expeditions begin.
07:40But there's another option.
07:41Punta Arenas, Chile.
07:45Let's compare them.
07:47Ushuaia is closer to Antarctica.
07:49It's the top departure point for tourists going on cruises.
07:53But no regular flights to Antarctica.
07:56No major scientific bases operating from here.
08:00It's basically controlled by the military, which refuses to allow private flights.
08:04Only commercially operated ships.
08:07Yes, Punta Arenas is further from Antarctica.
08:11But 22 countries and global organizations use it as their main base.
08:15There are regular flights to Antarctica happening there every year.
08:19Private airlines can actually operate here, making it the real air connection to Antarctica.
08:24Ushuaia may have the best location physically, but Punta Arenas actually runs the show.
08:30Argentina made a huge error in picking its Antarctic air base.
08:35Instead of setting up a simple, accessible base at sea level,
08:39they built Marambio Base.
08:42Very high, on rough terrain, completely impossible to reach by land.
08:46Everything has to be flown in by helicopter, making operations slow, expensive, and frustrating.
08:52For 50 years, Argentina stubbornly stuck to this bad decision.
08:56While Chile set up efficient, well-planned bases that the world now uses.
09:02If things don't change, Ushuaia will be nothing more than a tourist stop.
09:06But what's terrifying is that Antarctica seems to be returning to its past.
09:11It's supposed to be the coldest place on Earth, but something shocking happened just recently.
09:16For the first time in recorded history, temperatures in Antarctica broke 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
09:21This continent is buried under miles of ice.
09:26Usually, temperatures there can drop to minus 112 degrees.
09:30But in the winter of 2020, scientists recorded an insane 69 degrees on Seymour Island,
09:37hotter than many places in Europe at that time.
09:40Scientists believe there are several reasons for that.
09:42First, there are changes in the way heat moves around the planet's waters.
09:47Second, melting permafrost due to the planet warming.
09:51It looks like the climate is changing faster than expected.
09:55That's it for today.
09:57So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.
10:03Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!