An unprecedented discovery in the northeast of South Africa has perplexed scientists. Inside a rock of more than 2,000 million years, an International team has identified a “universe” of microorganisms trapped since ancient times. Posted in Microbial Ecologythe study could redefine the history of life on our planet and our expectations about its presence beyond it.
Hidden life in the bowels of the planet
The investigation was carried out in the igneous complex of Bushveld, one of the most rich geological formations in metals on the planet. During a campaign of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), more than two kilometers of earthly bark were drilled to extract rock nuclei that, at first glance, seemed totally inert.
However, the subsequent analysis revealed the existence of microorganisms trapped in sealed cracks and completely isolated from the outside world. Using infrared spectroscopy, electronic microscopy and fluorescence techniques, scientists confirmed that these organisms had no connection with the surface and that they had survived in an environment without oxygen, without sunlight and without common nutrients.
According to Yohey Suzuki, main researcher of the study and professor at the University of Tokyo, this is the oldest viable microbial life in a terrestrial geological formation. Until now, the record was a marine deposit of just 100 million years.
-Implications for the earth … and beyond
The most surprising thing is not only that the microorganisms have survived, but how they succeeded. Through a minimal metabolic activity and taking advantage of minerals such as saponite, these microbes could generate chemical energy thanks to iron and water interaction.
This type of endolytic life had already been observed in extreme conditions – such as oceanic funds or polar regions – but never in such deep and old structures. The finding not only provides clues about the origins of life on earth, but also strengthens the hypothesis that similar forms could exist on Mars or other celestial bodies.
“Understanding how these microbes have managed to persist for 2,000 million years in complete isolation gives us a unique window to the history of life, and also prepares us for what we could find in the subsoil of Mars,” Suzuki concluded.
This extraordinary finding not only changes the map of terrestrial biology, but also promotes the search for extraterrestrial life with a renewed scientific enthusiasm.
