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Billions
of years ago, Mars may have been teeming with life. But these days, with its
dry, arid landscape, ionizing radiation, and temperatures averaging negative
80 degrees Fahrenheit, the red planet is no longer habitable.
However, a new paper published in Astrobiology suggests a certain type of
bacteria might have endured the planet’s harsh environment for millions of
years by lying dormant beneath the surface. And this particular species has a special nickname
that hints at its perseverance: Conan the Bacterium. Although
scientists have yet to find evidence of life on Mars, this latest research
indicates they might have a better chance of doing so than previously
thought.
Researchers simulated Mars’ conditions in a lab, then introduced six types of
Earth-dwelling bacteria and fungi to determine how long the microbes could
survive, CNN reported. They found that — if buried and shielded from
radiation and solar particles — some bacteria could hold out for 280 million
years. The unexpected insight suggests that if life did exist on Mars, the
evidence might still be there.
Conan the Bacterium, a microbe whose Latin name, Deinococcus radiodurans,
roughly translates to “strange berry that withstands radiation,” seems
particularly well-suited to survive. According to the outlet, the bacteria
can persist
under severe conditions, including dehydration, acid exposure, and extreme
cold.
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