Glacier mice are colonies of
mosses
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and horn ...
found on some
glaciers
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...
and adjacent ecosystems. They are composed of multiple species of moss
and can also host other species, such as
nematode worms,
springtails
Springtails (Collembola) form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects (the other two are the Protura and Diplura). Although the three orders are sometimes grouped together in a class called Ent ...
, and
water bears. Although what preconditions are necessary for glacier mice to form has yet to be determined, they have been observed in Alaska, Chile, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Uganda and Venezuela, as well as several
Subantarctic islands. In at least some cases, glacier mice apparently reproduce
asexually due to the effect of the harsh glacier environment on traditional moss reproduction strategies.
Glacier mice are notable for their movement across the ice, which appears to be non-random, taking the form of herd-like behavior. This movement is as yet unexplained,
and does not appear to be solely the product of wind or the direction of a slope. On average, they move about per day.
The use of
accelerometers
An accelerometer is a tool that measures proper acceleration. Proper acceleration is the acceleration (the rate of change of velocity) of a body in its own instantaneous rest frame; this is different from coordinate acceleration, which is accele ...
has demonstrated that glacier mice do in fact rotate and roll, rather than simply sliding across the ice, over time exposing all of their surfaces.
Measurements of glacier mice show that they retain heat and moisture, creating a suitable ecosystem for microorganisms that otherwise could not live on a glacier. Glacier mice are believed to persist for six years or longer.
Glacier mice were first described in 1950 by Icelandic meteorologist
Jón Eyþórsson, who referred to them as , which is
Icelandic for "glacier mice."
References
External links
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* The Natural History Museum, London: {{YouTube, nQMpkgsWdYg, The secret world of glacier mice
Glaciers
Mosses