Genomic data to determine last time when WAIS was ice free

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The study by Lau et al. reveals that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) completely collapsed during the last interglacial period, a time when global sea levels were 5 to 10 meters higher than current levels and average global temperatures were approximately 1°C warmer. This research, which utilized genetic analyses of the circum-Antarctic octopus Pareledone turqueti, underscores the potential implications of current climate change on the stability of the WAIS as global temperatures continue to rise due to human activities. Understanding past responses of the WAIS to warmer climates is crucial for predicting its future behavior and contributions to sea level rise.
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From Science:
How the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) responded to warmer climates in the geologic past has obvious relevance to our understanding of what its future could be as global temperatures rise due to human activities. Using genetic analyses of a type of circum-Antarctic octopus, Pareledone turqueti, Lau et al. showed that the WAIS collapsed completely during the last interglacial period, when global sea levels were 5 to 10 meters higher than today and global average temperatures were only about 1°C warmer

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ade0664
 
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