Originally published March 9 2005
Frozen bacteria in Alaska give scientists new ideas about the possibility of life on Mars
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Scientists have discovered a species of bacteria in the Alaskan permafrost that may provide new insights into the possibility of life on Mars. These bacteria, which were frozen for 30,000 years, began swimming around as soon as they were thawed, leading scientists to believe that bacteria may also be frozen in Mars' frozen oceans and would likewise come to life as soon as they are thawed.
A U.S. scientist claims to have thawed out a new life form, which he said raises questions about possible contemporary life on Mars.
The life form -- a bacterium dubbed Carnobacterium pleistocenium -- probably flourished in the Pleistocene Age, along with woolly mammoths and saber-tooth tigers, said Hoover.
He discovered the bacterium near the town of Fox, Alaska, in a tunnel drilled through permafrost -- a mix of permanently frozen ice, soil and rock -- that is kept at a constant temperature of 24.8 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 4 degrees Celcius).
"When they cut into the Fox tunnel, they actually cut through Pleistocene ice wedges, which are similar to structures that we see on Mars," Hoover said in a telephone interview.
The ice wedges contained a golden-brown layer about a half-yard (half-meter) thick, and this layer contained a group of microscopic brownish bacteria, Hoover said.
When he looked at a small sample of this bacteria-laden ice under a microscope, Hoover said, "These bacteria that had just thawed out of the ice ...
This discovery, coupled with research released this week by the European Space Agency, makes it more likely that life could be found on Mars, Hoover said.
This is significant because liquid water -- not ice -- has been seen as a prerequisite for life as it is known on Earth.
Images made by the European Mars Express space probe indicate a giant frozen sea near the Martian equator, the first time scientists have detected evidence of ice beyond Mars' polar caps.
This vast sea is covered by a layer of dust, which might be heated by the sun and could conduct heat down to create sub-surface layers of water from time to time, Hoover said.
The finding was published in January in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, the official journal of record for such matters.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml