A series of lagoons in Argentina have been discovered that contain an unusual range of microbial communities previously unknown to scientists. As microbial communities grow, they form huge rock piles. This is similar to how corals build coral reefs millimeter by millimeter. And, as the University of Colorado points out, “communities can also provide scientists with unprecedented perspectives.” How did life originate on Mars?It looked like Earth billions of years ago. ”
“If life had evolved to the fossil level on Mars, this is what would have happened,” said Brian Hynek, a geologist and professor in the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Geological Sciences who contributed to the ecosystem record. “Understanding these modern communities on Earth may tell us what to look for when looking for similar features in Martian rocks.”
More details from CNN:
Stromatolites are layered rock It is produced by the growth of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, through photosynthesis. This structure is believed to be one of the oldest ecosystems on Earth. According to NASArepresenting at least the earliest fossil evidence of life on Earth. 3.5 billion years ago. “These certainly resemble some of the earliest megafossils on Earth, and they’re in a type of environment that’s really unusual on modern Earth,” Hynek said.
Stromatolites live in an oxygen-rich environment, but layers further down in the rock have little access to oxygen and are actively formed by microorganisms that use anoxic photosynthesis, Hynek said. This would make the structures similar to those found on ancient Earth… “We have identified more than 600 structures. ancient lake on mars; There may have been an ocean as well. So it was more like Earth in its early days,” he said.