Dark microbiome and extremely low organics in Atacama fossil delta unveil Mars life detection limits
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Published:2023-02-21
Issue:1
Volume:14
Page:
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ISSN:2041-1723
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Container-title:Nature Communications
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Nat Commun
Author:
Azua-Bustos ArmandoORCID, Fairén Alberto G., González-Silva Carlos, Prieto-Ballesteros Olga, Carrizo DanielORCID, Sánchez-García LauraORCID, Parro Victor, Fernández-Martínez Miguel Ángel, Escudero Cristina, Muñoz-Iglesias VictoriaORCID, Fernández-Sampedro Maite, Molina Antonio, Villadangos Miriam GarcíaORCID, Moreno-Paz MercedesORCID, Wierzchos Jacek, Ascaso Carmen, Fornaro TeresaORCID, Brucato John RobertORCID, Poggiali GiovanniORCID, Manrique Jose Antonio, Veneranda MarcoORCID, López-Reyes GuillermoORCID, Sanz-Arranz Aurelio, Rull Fernando, Ollila Ann M., Wiens Roger C., Reyes-Newell Adriana, Clegg Samuel M., Millan Maëva, Johnson Sarah StewartORCID, McIntosh Ophélie, Szopa CyrilORCID, Freissinet CarolineORCID, Sekine YasuhitoORCID, Fukushi KeisukeORCID, Morida Koki, Inoue Kosuke, Sakuma HiroshiORCID, Rampe ElizabethORCID
Abstract
AbstractIdentifying unequivocal signs of life on Mars is one of the most important objectives for sending missions to the red planet. Here we report Red Stone, a 163-100 My alluvial fan–fan delta that formed under arid conditions in the Atacama Desert, rich in hematite and mudstones containing clays such as vermiculite and smectites, and therefore geologically analogous to Mars. We show that Red Stone samples display an important number of microorganisms with an unusual high rate of phylogenetic indeterminacy, what we refer to as “dark microbiome”, and a mix of biosignatures from extant and ancient microorganisms that can be barely detected with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. Our analyses by testbed instruments that are on or will be sent to Mars unveil that although the mineralogy of Red Stone matches that detected by ground-based instruments on the red planet, similarly low levels of organics will be hard, if not impossible to detect in Martian rocks depending on the instrument and technique used. Our results stress the importance in returning samples to Earth for conclusively addressing whether life ever existed on Mars.
Funder
Human Frontier Science Program
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
General Physics and Astronomy,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Chemistry,Multidisciplinary
Reference89 articles.
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