It's galactic cannibalism all the way down

Highlight from the post:

To see what kind of galaxy that might have been, the astronomers then computed models of what kinds of elements stars are likely to have if they formed in different galactic environments. Using LMC-like conditions, their models fit the 10 "normal" globular clusters well (so that's a nice test). But for NGC 2005, they found the best fit is for it to have formed in what's a called a dwarf spheroidal galaxy: small, dim, and with very low rates of star formation.

This isn't conclusive, but it does strongly imply that long ago, the proto-LMC collided and merged with a dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The majority of the stars in it were subsumed into the LMC itself, but the gravity of NGC 2005 was able to hold the cluster together all these eons — making it indigestible — so it survives today. If true, it does show that smaller galaxies like the LMC can grow through collisions just like the big ones like the Milky Way.

It also means that NGC 2005 was witness to the LMC eating its host galaxy. I know I'm anthropomorphizing here, but yikes.