Earth has two lost continents home to “alien creatures” – but ancient tragedy means they’re impossible to visit

Evidence of two sunken continents has been uncovered by geoscientists.
The continents were found deep under the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The results were detailed in two separate studies in February 2017, per Brittanica.
In the first study, a team of scientists has discovered a large region under the Indian Ocean with different gravity than the surrounding area.
These strange gravitational data suggested there was a dense mass of continental crust somewhere between Madagascar and India.
Looking at the mineral data, researchers also found zircons — a type of silicate mineral that originated from volcanoes between 2.5 billion and 3 billion years ago.


The age differences between the zircons and the rocks on the island and the zircons suggest that a much older landmass once existed.
Meanwhile, a second study discovered a similar landmass in the southern Pacific near the east coast of Australia.
Samples from the large submerged plateau called Zealandia showed that it also consists of continental crust.
Zealandia, which is about 1,900,000 square miles in size, appears to have broken away from Australia about 80 million years ago, according to scientists.
But before it fell to the sea, Zealandia was home to many creatures that are now extinct.
A number of well-preserved 3-million-year-old fossils have been found thanks to archaeologists, a report said Business Insider called.
It is believed that these belonged to ancient birds that are likely the ancestors of modern-day penguins.
Another animal that may have existed on Zealandia is the mammal Saint Bathans, according to one learn.
The ancient animal is notable for being a late surviving “archaic” species of mammal.
https://www.the-sun.com/tech/7598382/earth-two-lost-continents-alien-creatures-ancient-tragedy/ Earth has two lost continents home to “alien creatures” – but ancient tragedy means they’re impossible to visit