The tiny fossil of a fly discovered 300 miles from the South Pole could help scientists figure out what life was like millions of years ago in Antarctica.

The find by geologist Allan Ashworth, detailed in this week's journal Nature, could open a new chapter in the understanding of plant and animal life in ancient Antarctica and shed light on global changes in the the climate.

Until now, scientists did not think that the coldest continent ever harbored this type of flies, which are from the Cyclorrhapha family, so-called "higher flies" that include the common housefly, Ashworth said.

They could have existed during a warm spell several million years ago or could have been part of the animal life of the mega-continent Gondwana that later split up, according to researchers.

Ashworth, who started collecting fossils from quarries as a child in southern England, is recognized as a pioneer for his use of insect fossils to research climate changes.

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