Bizarre life-forms found thriving in ancient rocks beneath the seafloor

[FfFfFfFF 58,113]

Researchers have discovered living cells inside exceedingly old, cold oceanic crust in the middle of the South Pacific. It isn’t yet clear how these new microbes are managing to survive—and yet, there seem to more than a million times more of them, for the same volume of rock, than in the younger crust.

“Honestly speaking, I couldn’t believe it,” said geoscientist Yohey Suzuki of the University of Tokyo, recalling when he first saw thin sections of the ancient rocks teeming with cells. Suzuki is lead author of the new study, published today in Communications Biology.

The discovery of microbial life in such an unlikely place supports the astounding possibility that it might be present throughout the oceanic crust—a layer of rock that is as thick as Mount Everest is tall in places and extends over three-fifths of the planet’s surface. It also has broader cosmic implications: There are similar volcanic bands on Mars, a planet that once had a waterlogged surface, perhaps even a colossal ocean.

With so few nutrients available above the drill site, “there is hardly any life in the water”, says Lever, who was not involved with the new research. It is easily one of “the deadest parts of the world’s oceans.”

The fact that a sprawling, hyper-dense community of microbes was found living in these rocks—an environment crushed under 580 atmospheres’ worth of pressure, with meager nutrients and clogged-up voids to inhabit—is a testament to the enterprising nature of microbial life. 

Genetic profiles suggest these crustal communities are dominated by bacteria known as heterotrophs. Unlike the hydrogen thieves in younger oceanic crust, these microbes cannot synthesize their own food and instead need to find food in their surrounding environment. In this case, they appear to get their energy from organic matter.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/life-found-thriving-in-one-of-the-least-likely-spots-on-earth/

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Heterotrophs??? The gays lost 

[Nino 12]

1 minute ago, TimisaMonster said:

Heterotrophs??? The gays lost 

All humans are chemoheterotrophic, even the hunties 

[PunkTheFunk 125,703]

Cher's childhood friends

[Snorlax 6,366]

1 minute ago, Nino said:

All humans are chemoheterotrophic, even the hunties 

Were also all homosapiens 

[Nino 12]

1 minute ago, Snorlax said:

Were also all homosapiens 

Speak for yourself I'm a bisexual gender fluid plantkin 

Please use leaf/twig pronouns  

[Pennywise 36,080]

MAYBE LEAVE THEM THERE THANK U 

 

Spoiler

in THIS environment I don't think we need more 

 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

7 minutes ago, Nino said:

All humans are chemoheterotrophic, even the hunties 

I'm not a homosapian? 

[Awakened M 3,226]

5 minutes ago, Nino said:

Speak for yourself I'm a bisexual gender fluid plantkin 

Please use leaf/twig pronouns  

Okay, Ms. Pokemon 

 

[Emigrante 9,994]

wow! that is one beautiful aurora borealis! 

[Nino 12]

3 minutes ago, Awakened M said:

Okay, Ms. Pokemon 

 

Thank you for being woke 

 

OT: Microorganisms have been known to live in deep sea vents too. When you consider what life is on a chemical/cellular level, it's not that hard to see why they'd be living so far down and be so old. Life is adaptable to anything 

[Tayko 1,203]

4 minutes ago, Awakened M said:

Okay, Ms. Pokemon 

 

Omg Tortipouss ♥ 

[Awakened M 3,226]

5 minutes ago, Tayko said:

Omg Tortipouss ♥ 

Omg what language translation is that for Turtwig? I absolutely hate the name "Turtwig" 

[Illuminati Freak 2,432]

[FFXIV WhiteMage 6,310]

37 minutes ago, Nino said:

 

OT: Microorganisms have been known to live in deep sea vents too. When you consider what life is on a chemical/cellular level, it's not that hard to see why they'd be living so far down and be so old. Life is adaptable to anything 

I remember them being called Extremophiles. It is really interesting how these simple organisms can survive on these extreme environments.