Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars
9 pages, figures, and tables statistics. Cryptoendolithic microbial communities living within Antarctic rocks are an example of survival in an extremely cold and dry environment. The extinction of these micro-organisms formerly colonizing sandstone in the Mount Fleming area (Ross Desert), was probab...
Published in: | International Journal of Astrobiology |
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Language: | English |
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2002
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/32140 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550402001052 |
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ftcsic:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/32140 2024-02-11T09:57:24+01:00 Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars Wierzchos, Jacek Ascaso, Carmen 2002 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/32140 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550402001052 en eng Cambridge University Press http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1473550402001052 International Journal of Astrobiology 1475-3006 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/32140 doi:10.1017/S1473550402001052 open Antarctica Backscattered electrons Cryptoendoliths Microbial fossils and Ross Desert artículo http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 2002 ftcsic https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550402001052 2024-01-16T09:30:12Z 9 pages, figures, and tables statistics. Cryptoendolithic microbial communities living within Antarctic rocks are an example of survival in an extremely cold and dry environment. The extinction of these micro-organisms formerly colonizing sandstone in the Mount Fleming area (Ross Desert), was probably provoked by the hostile environment. This is considered to be a good terrestrial analogue of the ®rst stage of the disappearance of possible life on early Mars. To date, only macroscopically observed indirect biomarkers of the past activity of cryptoendoliths in Antarctic rocks have been described. The present paper con®rms, for the ®rst time, the existence of cryptoendolith microbial fossils within these sandstone rocks. The novel in situ application of scanning electron microscopy with backscattered electron imaging and simultaneous use of X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy allowed the clear detection of microfossils left behind by Antarctic endoliths. Careful interpretation of the morphological features of cells, such as preserved cell walls in algae, fungi and bacteria, cytoplasm elements such as chloroplast membranes in algae and organic matter traces, mineral associations, and the spatial context of these structures all point to their identi®cation as cryptoendolith microfossils. This type of investigation will prompt the development of research strategies aimed at locating and identifying the signs that Martian microbiota, probably only bacteria if they existed, may have been left for us to see. Peer reviewed Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Digital.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) Antarctic Mount Fleming ENVELOPE(162.633,162.633,-75.167,-75.167) International Journal of Astrobiology 1 1 51 59 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Digital.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) |
op_collection_id |
ftcsic |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctica Backscattered electrons Cryptoendoliths Microbial fossils and Ross Desert |
spellingShingle |
Antarctica Backscattered electrons Cryptoendoliths Microbial fossils and Ross Desert Wierzchos, Jacek Ascaso, Carmen Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars |
topic_facet |
Antarctica Backscattered electrons Cryptoendoliths Microbial fossils and Ross Desert |
description |
9 pages, figures, and tables statistics. Cryptoendolithic microbial communities living within Antarctic rocks are an example of survival in an extremely cold and dry environment. The extinction of these micro-organisms formerly colonizing sandstone in the Mount Fleming area (Ross Desert), was probably provoked by the hostile environment. This is considered to be a good terrestrial analogue of the ®rst stage of the disappearance of possible life on early Mars. To date, only macroscopically observed indirect biomarkers of the past activity of cryptoendoliths in Antarctic rocks have been described. The present paper con®rms, for the ®rst time, the existence of cryptoendolith microbial fossils within these sandstone rocks. The novel in situ application of scanning electron microscopy with backscattered electron imaging and simultaneous use of X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy allowed the clear detection of microfossils left behind by Antarctic endoliths. Careful interpretation of the morphological features of cells, such as preserved cell walls in algae, fungi and bacteria, cytoplasm elements such as chloroplast membranes in algae and organic matter traces, mineral associations, and the spatial context of these structures all point to their identi®cation as cryptoendolith microfossils. This type of investigation will prompt the development of research strategies aimed at locating and identifying the signs that Martian microbiota, probably only bacteria if they existed, may have been left for us to see. Peer reviewed |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wierzchos, Jacek Ascaso, Carmen |
author_facet |
Wierzchos, Jacek Ascaso, Carmen |
author_sort |
Wierzchos, Jacek |
title |
Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars |
title_short |
Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars |
title_full |
Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars |
title_fullStr |
Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars |
title_full_unstemmed |
Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars |
title_sort |
microbial fossil record of rocks from the ross desert, antarctica: implications in the search for past life on mars |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/32140 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550402001052 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(162.633,162.633,-75.167,-75.167) |
geographic |
Antarctic Mount Fleming |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Mount Fleming |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1473550402001052 International Journal of Astrobiology 1475-3006 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/32140 doi:10.1017/S1473550402001052 |
op_rights |
open |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550402001052 |
container_title |
International Journal of Astrobiology |
container_volume |
1 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
51 |
op_container_end_page |
59 |
_version_ |
1790609694684872704 |