Unknown creatures found in cave

Eight previously unknown invertebrate creatures have been discovered in a cave in central Israel.

The largest is a white shrimp-like crustacean. Another resembles a species of scorpion and is blind.

The cave, near the city of Ramle, contains a lake and was uncovered during drilling at a quarry.

Scientists say it is a unique ecosystem that has been sealed off from the rest of the world for five million years and could contain other ancient lifeforms.

"The uniqueness is of the environmental conditions and of the palaeohistory," said Dr Hanan Dimantman, a biologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

"The result of this is that the ecosystem is unique. We are sure that the eight species that were found are only the beginning of the story of this ecosystem."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5036618.stm