A groundbreaking discovery was made in South Africa, where a two-million-year-old breed was found harboring ancient microbial life that is still alive. This finding made headlines as the organisms discovered are the most ancient microorganisms ever found inside such ancient breeds.
Prior to this discovery, it was believed that the oldest living microorganisms in geological layers were around 100 million years old and were typically found beneath the ocean floor. However, a recent study has demonstrated that rocks as old as two million years can also be inhabited by microorganisms, opening up new avenues for the study of ancient life on Earth.
The microbial organisms were found in a sealed crack within an ancient breed extracted from the Bushevel Magmatic Complex in South Africa. This complex is known for its rich ore deposits, including a significant portion of the world’s platinum reserves.
These ancient microbes have a slow development process and thrive deep underground, with recent studies suggesting they can survive for up to two billion years. The discovery was made possible through the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program, where researchers drilled a well to a depth of 15 meters and extracted a 30-centimeter sample containing living microbial cells.
To confirm the origin of the microbes, scientists conducted thorough analyses using techniques like infrared spectroscopy to study the proteins of the microorganisms and the surrounding clay rocks. These methods helped to rule out any possibility of sample contamination.
The implications of this discovery extend beyond Earth, with potential implications for the study of Mars. The presence of ancient living microbes underground may provide insights into the possibility of similar life forms existing on other planets. This discovery aligns with the objectives of NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover, which aims to collect rock samples from Mars for further examination.
The details of this groundbreaking study have been published in the journal Microbial Ecology.