Microbial Life Found In Mars-Like Salt Deposits In Rio Tinto

Microbial life has just been discovered living in the very Mars-like environment of the Tinto River salt deposits in Spain. The microbes were found living inside of the acidic and ferrous environment of the salt deposits there, which is a close analog of salt deposits that are found on Mars and on the Jovian moon Europa.

This is kind of neat, even if the title might be a little misleading to some.

Pretty much it is more evidence that life exists in many more areas of the planet originally thought to be inhospitable. Already we have found life on Earth in places like deep sea volcanic vents, locked in glacial lakes, deep in caves with almost zero oxygen. These form of life are generally called extremophiles.

The point of this is, that it is becoming more and more likely that we will discover some type of life existing in much more diverse environments throughout space.

I am excited to see what we find when we do.

Last year, researchers reported the discovery of multiple species of bacteria, fungi, and archaea, surviving in a very Mars like environment at the top of some South American volcanoes. Many recent discoveries have shown that it is certainly possible for life to survive in many of the extreme environments that have been observed on other planets and moons. Whether or not there is life on Mars is something that we may not know for a very long time though. And it is possible that even if life did exist on the planet billions of years ago that there isn’t any evidence of it left.

Source

I would call it Earth-like (that is known to harbor life) instead of a Mars-like environment.

Calling it Mars-like sure sounds exciting but the fact is it isn't Mars, it is Earth.

Just sayin'

Thats the catch...


Microbial life found in MARS LIKE salt deposit.... *drum roll* ON EARTH.

Even the extremeophiles have their limit. i mean, just have similar environment like mars on earth does not make it an environment like Mars.

We can study but never can duplicate, sooo many variables that effect an organism that it would be impossible to do it on earth.. It will be a parabola effect unless we compare it directly on mars.

so, spain is mars-like? that explains a lot!

reply to post by luciddream


Yes, They could have titled the story better, but we're getting there.

Maybe close only counts in horseshoes, hand-grenades, and life on other planets?
We've only landed stuff on Mars and the moon so far. But it is seeming that the playing field for life is getting bigger and bigger.
And that is exciting by it's self.

The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain. The rain on Mars falls mainly... nowhere.

No matter how harsh an environment we find on Earth, we have a thick atmosphere and liquid water. Those things are abscent on Mars, so the Martian environment is more life-unfriendly than the Earth could ever be.

I did not realize soil composition is the only difference between Earth and Mars. The article author should take a walk on Mars and wow us with the similarities.

Originally posted by wildespace
The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain. The rain on Mars falls mainly... nowhere.

No matter how harsh an environment we find on Earth, we have a thick atmosphere and liquid water. Those things are abscent on Mars, so the Martian environment is more life-unfriendly than the Earth could ever be.

But I thought that Mars did have an atmosphere at one time as well as water.So maybe the similarities are closer than we think.

The next explorer on Mars will look for exactly the sorts of remains that may have been left, so finding stuff in Spain will give clues as to where to look and what to look for?

There has been a very interesting series on the BBC over the past few nights, much of it about mars. Well worth a watch if you can receive it. There is an option to download for viewing with "Windows Media Player".

www.bbc.co.uk...
www.bbc.co.uk...

Originally posted by dowot

Originally posted by wildespace
The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain. The rain on Mars falls mainly... nowhere.

No matter how harsh an environment we find on Earth, we have a thick atmosphere and liquid water. Those things are abscent on Mars, so the Martian environment is more life-unfriendly than the Earth could ever be.

But I thought that Mars did have an atmosphere at one time as well as water.So maybe the similarities are closer than we think.

The next explorer on Mars will look for exactly the sorts of remains that may have been left, so finding stuff in Spain will give clues as to where to look and what to look for?

There has been a very interesting series on the BBC over the past few nights, much of it about mars. Well worth a watch if you can receive it. There is an option to download for viewing with "Windows Media Player".

www.bbc.co.uk...
www.bbc.co.uk...

Then it is not similar to Mars, it is similar to Ancient Mars. That is something to make a case for. It's like saying the conditions of Britain are similar to those of Doggerland. I somehow do not think you would survive very long walking on the surface of Doggerland.