Where water manages to settle, life also stops. This maxim has prevailed in most theories of evolution since the beginning of biology and in the emergence of life on Earth. But where is the border? Can any aquatic species support life, or only under certain conditions? With this premise, scientists the most uninhabitable and extreme places on earthThey were surprised to find that there are some organisms that can find comfortable living conditions for them.
This is the case of ultra-small organisms nanohaloarchaea) found in eGeothermal field near Dallol volcano in North Afar (Ethiopia). For now, it’s the most extreme on Earth, leaving behind other ‘almost extraterrestrial’ places where life is found, even where extremists (organisms) like Antarctica, Atacama or Río Tinto (Huelva) have adapted. extreme living conditions).
Archaea are a large group of unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms that do not have a nucleus or inner-membrane organelles like bacteria, but actually differ from them in that they form their own domain or kingdom.
In any case, these organisms found in the aforementioned Ethiopian region, microbes 1000 times smaller than conventional bacteria.
it was a group of Spanish and French scientistsIt is led by researchers from the Center for Astrobiology (CAB, INTA-CSIC) who reported this finding, published in the journal Science in 2019. Scientific Reports related to Nature. With their results, they set a new benchmark for habitability conditions that can be used to know where to look for life, both on our planet and beyond.
While this place was once considered the cradle of life (many of the fossils describing human history have also been found in the Afar depression), today it is as close to hell as possible.
And its climate in general is dry and hot, with average maximum temperatures around 41 degrees Celsius. There is a hydrothermal zone in it. water rises from underground at about 100 degrees Celsius.
It is also extremely acidic (pH value is very low, 0.25, so a water is more acidic than concentrated sulfuric acid). Hydrothermalism in the area likely resulted from a phreatic eruption in 1926. Since then, volcanic events, seismicity and hydrothermal activity have been reported in the region.
The most characteristic feature of this region is its colorful chimneys and colorful cones. The hue comes from rare minerals thrown to the surface. (pyrolusite, chlorargyrite, wurtzite, and halite) and are colored by salts and metals found in the environment. So there are sulfate-rich yellow deposits, iron-oxide-rich red areas, and waters that are dyed green with copper salts.
And despite everything there is life
Despite the extreme and uninhabitable conditions for ordinary mortals, the following was discovered: Entire communities of unknown microorganisms live inside small mineral spheres in the chimneys through which water flows.. These beings protect themselves by covering themselves with the minerals of the region as if they were a bubble.
In addition to this protection, they are wrapped in molecular matrices that allow them to live in consortia and have been found to grow very slowly. They also feed on stones (they are chemolithotrophs) and therefore They do not need organic matter to thrive. In addition, they do not need oxygen, as they breathe metals and minerals.
The results of this study show that microorganisms can survive and potentially survive in this extreme environment, and this has implications for understanding the limits of habitability.
In search of life on the red planet
The obsession with the pursuit of life is not just something that applies on Earth. Findings like this could determine what conditions must exist to find life on other planets like Mars.. But the red planet still resists giving clear signs that it was once home to life.
Earlier this month, NASA’s Curiosity rover observed a mix of carbon isotopes (12 and 13) in the Gale Crater rocks. If discovered on Earth, this finding is immediately considered a sign of life, because it is usually the result of a normal process in the metabolic activities of microorganisms living deep underground. But another explanation is sought on Mars, as there have been several times when the existence of life on the neighboring planet has been nothing more than a failed hope.
Almost every compelling clue in biology can also be explained by some as yet unknown aspects of Mars’ geology or chemistry, because there is so much that scientists don’t know about how the planet works and how such phenomena can be camouflaged. .in signs of life.
Reference research: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44440-8
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