deeply in the genome of south-polar devilfish , maritime biologists have found something funny . Although the oeuvre is still undergoing match review , the most likely account is an case over 100,000 old age ago with very serious implications for the Earth ’s future in a strong climate .

During the 2010 football game World Cup , anoctopus named Paulachieved global celebrity for correctly “ predicting ” the winner of 12 out of 14 compeer , the final include . Paul ’s fame ( and subsequent death ) cleared the means fornumerous other brute prognosticators . Most people , of grade , realized that this was merely a matter of fate .

However , a squad of research worker remember our tentacled friends may in fact be able-bodied to predict a much more crucial part of our future , or at least serve us to do so . The investigator put out a preprint for other scientists to assess while it undergo courtly peer revaluation – because if they are right , there ’s not a moment to recede .

They studied the genetics of population of Turquet ’s devilfish ( Pareledone turqueti ) , particularly those living in the Amundsen and Ross Seas . By direct line , there are only 500 kilometers ( 300 miles ) between them – but that space is covered by snowbound nation humans can barely cross , for certain untraversable tocephalopods .

The two populations have distinctgenomes . This shows there has been no recent hybridizing , indicating the octopuses are not migrating around the hump of East Antarctica or through the straits of Magellan both in the current clime and underIce Ageconditions .

What is alarming , however , is that there were signs that the two seas ’ octopuses did interbreed during the last interglacial flow , 129–116,000 years ago , and scientists do n’t think they made it around via either route .

or else , it has been proposed that there was a channel between the two sea that was meth - free at least some of the metre , allowing for some canoodling between members of each group . tip researcher Dr Sally Lau of James Cook University tell IFLScience this is n’t just meditation .

“ We know of a channel that , if you take all the ice out of West Antarctica , links the Weddell Sea to Ross Sea , ” Lau said . “ We call it the seaway . ” Others call it theoctopus sexual activity burrow .

Theoretically , it is potential that star - crossed devilfish lovers retrieve their elbow room around Antarctica , rather than using the seaway to cross it . However , Lau assure IFLScience that “ We deliberately chose a species that occurs all around Antarctica so we could compare genetic signals across these locations . Our method acting testify the complete collapse of the West Antarctic ice sail is statistically the most probable scenario . ”

The work is important because it indicates the West Antarctic Ice sheet is much less static than has been hoped , and temperatures in the last interglacial were sufficient to fade a great good deal of it . If this can happen once , it can happen again , particularly since global temperatures are go under to overstep those in the last interglacial very soon if emission ofgreenhouse gasesare not controlled urgently .

“ If we make love West Antarctica collapsed last time , we can use that to determine its tipping point for collapse under the current consideration , ” Lau bestow . Such a collapse would raise ocean levels several meters , even without contributions from other sources .

Lau state IFLScience that feedback so far has been very positive , but the work has yet to be accepted into a scientific journal . The seas in doubt are quite biodiverse , surprising as it may seem to those more used to temperate climate . Other metal money may be able-bodied to be studied in the same room to test the conclusions , but Lau assure IFLScience that a compounding of habitats around Antarctica ’s perimeter , suitable transmissible pattern , and sufficient samples are call for . Not many metal money gibe all three , although the last at least is fixable .

coincidently , the work ’s dismissal coincides with a interchangeable bailiwick on the genetic science of crocodile on either side of the Panama Isthmus , showing scurvy ocean levels during ice agescreated a barrierthat can likewise be read in the crocodile genome .

The Preprint is useable atbioRxiv.org

[ H / TThe Guardian ]