10 million years AP

Antarctic deglaciation is ongoing, reducing again the large ice sheets of Antarctica, now mostly found on Polarica. With the ice retreat, the habitat continuum of the Pocket Tundra increases significantly, creating immense tundra areas of millions of km2 . Along the coast, temperatures become warm enough to enhance the presence of tall shrubs/small trees, creating a sort of cold savanna. The most impressive shrub species are the narrow-leaved willow (Salix anguistifolia), the giant blueberry (Vaccinium giganteum), the aquatic rimu (Lepidothamnus humidus), the dwarf austral beech (Notophagus nana) and the woody strawberry (Fragaria lignosa). However, the maximal height of these shrubs does not exceed 2-4 meters and they never create closed canopies, due to the herbivore disturbance and the harsh environment. Shrubland Tundra is at the moment the most biodiverse habitat of the icy continent, but it remains less diverse compared to the Arctic tundra. 

The ongoing deglaciation and sea-level rise have also caused the creation of two new big islands: the Weddell island, forming the Weddel archipelago and the Ellsworth island, forming the Ellsworth archipelago. Weddell Island is a mountainous island., with glacial valleys being the only flat points of the island, where most of the fauna reside. On the other hand, the not-so-far Ellsworth island has a pretty flat environment, with small and located mountain areas. Most of Ellsworth and Polarica lowlands were initially flooded by the sea, but due to a post-glacial rebound they slowly resurfaced after several millennia. This process has caused the creation of large evaporite deposits across their territory: something similar happened in Weddel island too, but it was proportionally less significant. With the separation of Weddell and Ellsworth from the mainland, Polarica develop a new peninsula, called the Lorentz peninsula (in honor of Lorentz Wisniewski, a progressive polish scientist that strongly contributed to the creation of the FAIT2050). 

With the expansion of the tundra at higher latitudes, lots of fauna have developed stronger adaptations to survive the polar night. Some endothermic animals can reduce their metabolism in winter months, while others seasonally migrate in northern areas, where twilight or short daylight persist. 

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