Scientists say microbes 100 million years old are dormant in the salt deposits of Central Australia and could rise under favorable conditions. Inside the salt flats, they live in air chambers that are narrower than human hair. They may have inhabited the salty oceans and lakes of the earth, which had a completely different environment 100 million years ago. These are the oldest saltstone samples ever found to carry microorganisms.
The scientists came to this conclusion using light microscopy, an observational technique, on salt samples collected from Australia. The research was carried out without breaking the salt rocks and causing no damage. Scientists have not confirmed the existence of these microbial organisms in salt rock today. However, there have been reports that some other scientists have revived some of the microorganisms that were previously present in the salt rock. If so, there is a possibility that these too may be aroused.
Scientists have discovered microorganisms that lived up to the Permian period about 250 million years ago. However, these crystals were destroyed and the experiments were carried out using a syringe to collect microorganisms located in the air chambers inside the salts. Scientists have collected the salt stones needed for the study from the famous Brown Formation area in Australia. These places have many salt deposits dating back to ancient times. Scientists say it contains microorganisms such as algae, fungi and bacteria.
Scientists say the microbes range in size from half to five microns. But scientists have not yet been able to confirm that these belong to any category or category. The microorganisms found in salt rocks are generally able to withstand very harsh environments. They can survive for a long time by controlling their physical activity even when there is no water around. This is why scientists say that they wake up over time. Recently, bacteria that had been dormant for 101 million years were revived.
This is research with a lot of potential. Such microbes may be hidden in areas, rocks, and structures where life is thought to have existed in ancient times, such as Mars. Once the rover probes are deployed on Mars to detect them, there will be a huge leap forward in extraterrestrial life. NASA is considering this very strongly. NASA’s rover Perseverance, which finally landed on Mars, is collecting debris from Mars.
However, there is a strong argument that if these microbes, which were imprisoned in salt rocks in prehistoric times, woke up and spread, they would cause problems for humans and other living things. Some scientists have suggested that permafrost ice deposits in the North Pole contain prehistoric viruses that may have caused major epidemics in the past. The microbes in these rocks are billions of years older than this. Some experts say that these can be a big problem if they become dangerous because they have not even been properly studied.
English Summary: Scientists May Have Found Living Microbes In A Rock From Million-Years Ago