Microbial Life and Fossils in Antarctica

The video explores five scientific mysteries and their resolutions, including the origins of the European bison, the natural formation of Klerksdorp spheres, microbial life in Antarctica, the habitat of Tanystropheus, and the debunking of the Explorer's Club mammoth meat myth. It highlights the role of modern techniques like DNA analysis and CT scans in solving these mysteries. The video concludes with a message from the sponsor, Linode, emphasizing the importance of data management in scientific research.

What is the primary role of science according to the introduction?

• To raise more questions

• To stop once everything is known

• To focus only on the universe

• To provide definitive answers

What was the European bison's closest relative according to the 2016 study?

• Modern cattle

• Ancient deer

• North American bison

• Steppe bison and aurochs hybrid

What did the cave paintings suggest about the European bison?

• They resembled North American bison

• They had thinner horns and smaller humps

• They were extinct

• They had larger horns

What natural process explains the formation of Klerksdorp spheres?

• Volcanic eruptions

• Human manufacturing

• Alien intervention

• Concretions from mineral crystallization

What did the Mars rover Opportunity find that was similar to Klerksdorp spheres?

• Martian crystals

• Martian fossils

• Martian rocks

• Martian blueberries

What is the main energy source for microbes in Antarctica's deserts?

• Volcanic heat

• Trace atmospheric gases

• Photosynthesis

• Organic carbon

What percentage of Antarctic microbes were known photosynthesizers?

• 50%

• 10%

• 75%

• 0.28%

What did researchers discover about Tanystropheus in 2020?

• It lived underwater

• It could fly

• It lived on land

• It was a mammal

What was the actual source of the meat served at the Explorer's Club dinner?

• Woolly mammoth

• Giant ground sloth

• Green sea turtle

• Polar bear

What was initially thought about the small and large specimens of Tanystropheus?

• They were both aquatic

• They were juvenile and mature of the same species

• They were both terrestrial

• They were different species