A Life Less Obvious: Study Sheds Light on The Evolution of Underground Microbes
Published:02 Nov.2021 Source:University of Arizona
Deep, dark fractures reaching far down into the oldest rocks on Earth may seem about as hospitable to life as outer space, but some estimates suggest that microbes dwelling deep in the Earth's crust account for the majority of microbial life. These underground lifeforms, which make up what's known as the deep biosphere, could account for as much as 20% of all biomass on Earth.
These ecosystems host microbial lineages that are of interest for understanding the origin and evolution of life on our planet but remain the least explored and understood ecosystems on Earth, according to the authors of a new study that takes a closer look at how deep habitats changed during Earth's tumultuous past.