While territorial claims are and will likely be heated, what struck me is that the area is right near the Drake Passage, in the Weddell Sea (which is fundamental to the world’s ocean currents AFAIU).
I don’t know how oil drilling in the antarctic could affect the passage, but still, I’m not sure I would trust human oil hunger with a 10ft pole on that one.
Also interestingly, the discovery was made by Russia, which is a somewhat ominous clue about where the current “multi-polar” world and climate change are heading. Antarctica, being an actual continent that thrived with life up until only about 10-30 M yrs ago, is almost certainly full of resources.
I thought the animals at La Brea were all from the Cenozoic. There are Dinos in there as well?
I’m probably remembering it wrong. I was 5 and obsessed with dinos.
I wish there was a huge tar pot full of exceedingly well preserved Dinos somewhere.