Although the name of the desert means “the area where nothing happens”, the area is actually full of life.
The Namib Desert stretches 1,600 kilometers along the west coast of Africa and covers three countries. This is also considered one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, as the name of the desert means “the land where there is nothing”. But scientists insist that the oldest desert on Earth is actually teeming with life, according to IFLScience.
According to researchers, not only is there not much life here, but some of its representatives are endemic to this region and are not found outside the Namib Desert.
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The desert is teeming with life
Scientists say that the desert is actually home to thousands of animal and plant species. Moreover, for most of them, the Namib Desert is the only home on Earth.
Here, among the highest sand dunes on the planet, you can find highly adapted populations of desert elephants, dune larks, many different insects and the magnificent Welwitschia plant.
Researchers believe that it is not only the unusual environmental conditions that make this place amazing, but also something else. The Namib is the oldest desert on the planet, and therefore many populations of plants, animals and even humans have managed to adapt to life in this region and even thrive.
The age of the Namib Desert is still a mystery to scientists, but previous studies have already shown that the area is at least 55 million years old. By comparison, the Namib Desert is 8 times older than the Sahara, according to environmental scientist Brian John Huntley.
No matter how old the desert is, it has probably taken a very long time for local flora and fauna to adapt to the local climate: there is little stable soil and annual rainfall is only 2 millimeters.
Home of the Supernatural
According to local folklore, this area is also home to something unusual: The local dunes and gravel flats are completely covered with circular patches of sand ranging from 1.5 to 25 meters in diameter, also known as “fairy circles” or “fairy circles” . circles.” These mysterious areas attract attention with the fact that no living creature can survive in them.
Scientists have not yet figured out how these rings form, but researchers still have some theories. What scientists know about the Namib Desert’s mysterious “circles of death” Focus he wrote before.
Hell’s Gate in the Namib
“Fairies” do not only live in the Namib Desert; In another part of the desert you can also find the area called the Skeleton Coast. According to documentarian Jenn Martin, this arid desert has been bogged down by strong Atlantic waves, causing the premature deaths of many unfortunate sailors, ships, planes and animals before.
Rusting ships and sun-bleached bones are now visible reminders of the hostile conditions of the desert, researchers say. The area is so sinister that 15th-century Portuguese explorer Diego Can called it the “Gates of Hell.” For a sailor like him, the name was very appropriate: about 1,000 shipwrecks could be found along the coast, due to the dense fog coming in from the Atlantic and obscuring the coastline.
Previously Focus He wrote that scientists have created an atlas of “magic circles”: they are more common than we think.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.