The chemical analyses showed that the microbes breathe in a form of iron that leaches into the water from the bedrock below. Then, with the help of sulfur compounds as catalysts, the microorganisms breathe out a different form of iron, which gives Blood Falls its rusty color. "We've never seen that type of metabolic cycle in a natural system before," Gehring said. In a nod to their oceanic roots, genetic work showed that the microbes are closely related to marine organisms. This population has been isolated for at least 1.5 million years. Europa, has an icy crust on top of a salty liquid sea. So it's possible that similar types of microbes live there and in other similar environments throughout the universe. The work also provides concrete evidence, Gehring said, of how life could have endured Snowball Earth periods, which may have periodically covered the globe completely with snow and ice at various times in the planet's history, though Kaufman disputes those particular conclusions. Either way, the research highlights the relentless resilience of life on Earth. "Here's an ecosystem that has been covered for millions of years and has persisted below the ice," Gehring told Discovery News. "As long as there's energy, life finds a way to take advantage of it." Related Links: Satellite Images of Blood Falls |
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