"The boreholes they sampled do not just contain bacteria and nematodes. They are home to a host of other small animals, from flatworms and segmented worms to fungi, microscopic rotifers and even what appears to be a crustacean."
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20151124-meet-the-strange-creatures-that-live-in-solid-rock-deep-underground
I read a fascinating book recommended by Dr. Kiki, a science podcaster, awhile back.
ReplyDeleteThe title of the book is Dirt, but I'm on mobile so I won't go the trouble to get a link now.
Anyway, I didn't really understand much about the "life cycle" of dirt until reading this book.
It seems that dirt is always being created from the disintegration of rock, getting worn away by erosion, which relieves the weight and causes more rock to pop-up. Increase layers of sediment on the ocean floors presses them down and causes the continents to rise also.
Possibly we'll learn that these beasts are part of the preparation for rock disintegration that makes soil possible or fertile. Maybe life as we know it oees it's existence to these deep rock creatures.
I wonder how far down towards the mantle you can find dividing cells. I believe I have read that a mile deep into Columbia River basalts, there is about 1 cell per cc on average, oxidizing ferrous to ferric iron. Subsurface life could thus be comparable to surface life in mass, and think of Mars and how sterile do you want to be if your lander is going to be drilling down a couple meters?
ReplyDeleteDean Calahan the article quotes a Scientist who believed that life would be not be sustainable in an environment above 60 degrees C.
ReplyDelete