A cave closed for 5.5 million years has only been found over 30 years old and so far only less than 100 people have been allowed to explore it.
In Romania, a few kilometers west of the Black Sea, lies a completely different world from what humanity sees. This is where Movile is located – a special cave, closed for 5.5 million years and completely separated from the outside world.
In such a closed environment, the air inside contains a lot of toxins and the humidity is also unbearable. However, these factors when combined to create a gold mine for the organic world.
According to BBC Earth, the Movile cave was discovered in 1986, and so far only about 100 people have come to explore this cave. Today it is sealed by the Romanian government, only people with special licenses (like scientists) can go there. In fact, this cave is surrounded by sharp limestone as a natural protective layer, so it is difficult for ordinary people to come.
Due to the fact that it has been sealed for so long, the air in the cave is only half the oxygen concentration of normal, while the concentration of CO2 and hydrogen sulfide is terribly high. And also because it had been 5.5 million years without any light, the interior of the cave was black, unable to see anything.
What is inside the cave?
But despite the harsh environment, this cave still has life. After having “boxed” the deep areas of the Movile cave, the scientists identified 48 species that live there. They include a number of species of spiders, water scorpions, centipedes, leeches, amphibians … 33 of which are unique, which are only found in this cave.
Most of the cave animals have no eyesight and are not pigmented. It’s easy to understand: what do you need eyes for if the surrounding space doesn’t have some light? Additionally, they all have fairly long limbs, as well as the pair of antennae that serve as navigation antennae, helping them move around in the dark.
But that’s not all! Scientists say it really is a very different world, as it is the only ecosystem that depends on species of bacteria capable of chemosynthetics (chemosynthetics). Simply put, terrestrial ecosystems accumulate and produce energy through photosynthesis. But since there is no light in the cave, the bacteria will have to generate energy through chemical reactions – such as the oxidation of sulfide or ammonium.
The million-year-old mystery: why did animals come in here and then separate themselves from the world?
This is actually an unanswered question. “Chances are the bacteria have been around a lot longer, but what about the bugs?” Says J. Colin Murrell, University of East Anglia biologist. “They could just accidentally fall in there and get stuck as limestone filled the entrance to the cave, until they were discovered by humans in 1986.”
