Researchers have reported evidence of two ancient Antarctic settings: a colossal mountain range that formed in Gondwana about 600 million years ago and has been linked to the evolution of complex life, and an open, sunlit ocean beneath what is now West Antarctic ice [404media.co][scienceblog.com][sciencealert.com]. The mountain evidence comes from analyses of tiny ancient rocks, while the ocean evidence comes from a drilling project at Crary Ice Rise near the inner margin of the Ross Ice Shelf [404media.co][scienceblog.com]. The drilling team completed the project in January 2026, recovering a sediment core after passing through the overlying ice. The core contained shell fragments and remains of marine organisms that require sunlight [scienceblog.com]. The evidence indicates that open ocean once occupied an area now covered by ice, but it does not establish that an ice-sheet collapse is occurring now or predict future sea-level rise [scienceblog.com]. Highlights: • The team recovered a 748-foot sediment core after drilling through 1,716 feet of ice [scienceblog.com] • A hot-water drill penetrated 523 metres of grounded ice before researchers drilled into the sediment below [scienceblog.com] • Crary Ice Rise is a grounded ice dome at the inner margin of the Ross Ice Shelf [scienceblog.com] Sources: • Mountains That Helped Complex Life Flourish May Lie Hidden Beneath Antarctic Ice - sciencealert.com • In January 2026, researchers completed a drilling project beneath 1,716 feet of ice in West Antarctica, recovering evidence of an ocean that once lay open to sunlight - scienceblog.com • ‘Supermountains’ Buried Under Antarctica Fueled Explosion of Life, Scientists Discover - 404media.co --- 📰 Story aggregated by Kagi News