Tag Archives: surviving

The Only Earth Creatures Capable of Surviving on Mars

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Mars is a quite an intimidating environment for life forms accustomed to Earth. The average surface temperature hovers around -63°C (-81°F), and temperatures only manage to rise slightly above freezing near the equator during summer.

Moreover, the atmospheric pressure is equivalent to that found on Earth at an altitude of 35km (almost 115,000 feet), well above the cruising altitude of commercial flights. This sparse atmosphere is predominantly carbon dioxide, containing only minimal amounts of oxygen.

Additionally, liquid water is virtually nonexistent on Mars, with radiation levels being 400 times greater than those on Earth, and only rare instances of extremely saline trickles.

Nonetheless, certain Earth organisms have shown a remarkable ability to endure such harsh conditions.

The European Space Agency conducted a series of experiments between 2008 and 2016, exposing various organisms and seeds to simulated Martian conditions aboard the International Space Station.

Tardigrades, fungi, and some bacteria survived for over a year, but solely in dormant forms, such as spores and cysts.

Some lichens and algae went a step further, demonstrating actual metabolic activity when partially shielded from radiation—this could occur on Mars if they are embedded in soil or hidden within rock crevices.

In 2024, Chinese researchers discovered that various desert moss species (Syntrichia caninervis) could endure simulated Martian conditions. However, “tolerance” is far from thriving in such an environment.

Although the moss was able to recover after a week in the simulated Martian environment and returned to normal growth, researchers did not find evidence of metabolic activity, such as oxygen production, within the Martian setting.

But the challenges are even greater.

Mars has an average surface temperature of -63°C (-81°F) and an atmospheric pressure that corresponds to 35km (nearly 115,000 feet), along with radiation levels that are 400 times higher than on Earth.

Mars soil contains perchlorate, a problematic oxidizer that is toxic to cell functions and leads to DNA damage. Exposure to the ultraviolet radiation prevalent on Mars makes it even more reactive.

The Chinese experiments did not simulate perchlorate presence in the Martian environment. Had it been included, it likely would have obliterated the moss entirely.

Some fungi survive perchlorate, and several bacterial species can utilize it as an energy source, even breaking it down into harmless by-products. However, these species still require water and warmth to thrive.

Typically, when we store items, we employ various methods to eliminate bacteria and fungi or inhibit their growth.

We freeze food, dehydrate it, sterilize with UV light, soak it in saline solutions, or seal it in oxygen-removing containers. On Mars, all these methods are naturally enforced!

If we aimed to sterilize a planet, we could hardly surpass the existing conditions on Mars.

This article addresses the inquiry posed by Robin Mason of Manchester: “Is there anything on Earth that can withstand Martian conditions?”

Please send your questions via email to Question @sciencefocus.com, or reach us through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Page (please include your name and location).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Surviving and Thriving in One of Earth’s Most Hostile Environments

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Marine tube worms in deep-sea habitats

The deep-sea environment is largely dominated by marine tube worms

Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, CAS

Over 9,500 meters of ecosystems fueled by chemicals from tectonic plate interactions have been uncovered beneath the northwest Pacific Ocean.

“Their resilience and beauty captivated me,” says Mengrand Du from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Sanya. “The striking crimson tentacles unfurl like delicate blossoms of the trench.”

Du and her team undertook 24 dives between July 8 and August 17, 2024, exploring 2,500 kilometers west of the Krill Kamchatka trench and Aleutian trench, at depths ranging from 5,800 to 9,533 meters. In a frozen section beyond 6,000 meters deep, the Hadal zone experiences crushing pressure and is devoid of light.

This region is referred to as the Hadal biosphere, which derives energy from nutrients descending from surface photosynthesis or exists via chemical bonds relying on chemicals as energy sources.

Taxonomic and genetic data gathered during the dives indicated that many organisms in the Hadal zone utilize compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and methane, which are released through fault lines formed as tectonic plates slide against each other.

“We have discovered a chemically-synthesized community thriving at an astonishing depth of 9,533 meters,” Du states. These findings, made during 19 dives, illustrate their extensive distribution.

The chemically-driven community was primarily composed of bivalve mollusks and marine tube worms known as ciboglinid polychaetes. Some populations consisted of thousands of individuals, sprawling for kilometers.

Numerous bivalve mollusks are also present.

Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, CAS

A notable characteristic of many of these organisms is their dependence on chemical energy rather than sunlight, according to Du. “While other organisms, such as sea cucumbers and amphipods, might inhabit greater depths, they cannot harness chemicals like hydrogen sulfide for energy and must rely on organic matter instead.”

This finding indicates “the deepest and most extensive known chemical synthesis community on our planet.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Enigmatic Lizard: Surviving the Chicxulub Asteroid Impact

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Yellow spotted tropical night lizard (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum)

Dante Fenolio/Science Photo Library

A unique and elusive group of lizards remains today, recognized as the only terrestrial vertebrates to withstand the catastrophic Chicxulub asteroid impact, which likely resulted in the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs.

The Xantusiid Night lizard is known as an ancient lineage, surviving for tens of millions of years. However, Chase Brownstein from Yale University and his team proposed that this lineage might have originated earlier than previously estimated.

The end of the Cretaceous period was marked by a colossal asteroid strike near the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, creating craters wider than 150 kilometers and leading to the extinction of most animal and plant species globally.

Today, the night lizard—despite its name, not actually nocturnal—continues to inhabit Cuba, Central America, and the southwest region of the United States.

Brownstein and his researchers utilized previously published DNA sequencing data from Xantusiids to construct evolutionary trees for these groups. They integrated findings from skeletal anatomy of current species and fossil records, allowing them to estimate the lineage’s age and the quantity of offspring produced by the ancestral night lizard.

The team identified a shared ancestor that lived deep within the Cretaceous period, dating back over 93 million years, likely producing only one or two clutches of offspring.

“It’s highly probable that these ancient populations were situated close to the impact site, much like their modern counterparts,” remarks Brownstein. “It’s as though the distribution of Xantusiid lizards encircles the impact zones.”

According to fossil records, Brownstein argues that it is improbable for ancient night lizards to have simply returned to the affected areas later.

“Our reconstructions suggest that the common ancestors of living species most likely originated in North America, as the fossil evidence of Xantusiids is relatively continuous on both sides of the boundary layer,” he adds.

Numerous night lizard species inhabit rock crevices and possess a slow metabolism akin to other survivors of mass extinction, like turtles and crocodiles. “This likely enabled them to endure the aftermath of the impact,” states Brownstein.

Nathan Law from the University of Sydney expresses amazement at their survival. “These lizards resided near the asteroid’s impact site; despite the asteroid’s devastating effects within hundreds of kilometers, they managed to survive.”

Remarkably, they achieved this despite lacking many common characteristics typically associated with mass extinction survivors. “Species that endure these extinction events tend to be small, reproduce rapidly, and have extensive geographical ranges,” explains Law. “Conversely, these lizards generally have slower reproduction rates and appear to cover a minimal range.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Surviving 24 Hours without GPS Navigation on Your Smartphone

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Research from Harvard University published in the British Medical Journal shows that taxi and ambulance drivers have a lower risk of dying from Alzheimer’s disease compared to other workers.

This is likely because navigation and spatial memory, which are affected by Alzheimer’s, are related to the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is first affected by the disease. Both taxi and ambulance drivers, however, have a lower life expectancy, with averages of 68 and 64 years respectively, and Alzheimer’s typically affects individuals over 65.

Despite the convenience of GPS, there is an argument against it as it may impact memory and spatial skills, leading to a “use it or lose it” situation. Studies have shown that reliance on GPS, such as Google Maps, can affect our ability to navigate without it.

Surviving without GPS for 24 hours can be challenging, requiring individuals to rely on traditional navigation methods. The author shares a personal experience of getting lost while trying to find a bar without GPS, highlighting the reliance on technology for navigation.

The author reflects on the importance of traditional navigation tools like maps and the need to maintain spatial awareness. Despite advancements in technology, like GPS, the author acknowledges the value of traditional navigation methods.

Navigating without GPS can be a daunting task, especially in areas with complex layouts and limited landmarks. The author shares the struggle of finding a location without GPS and the sense of accomplishment when finally reaching the destination.

Central London, with its mix of landmarks and modern developments, poses unique challenges for navigation. Even with technology, such as GPS, finding specific locations can be difficult due to unconventional addressing methods.

Despite the challenges of navigating without GPS, the author finds satisfaction in finally reaching their destination, emphasizing the importance of traditional navigation skills.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The former Moa refuge now shelters New Zealand’s surviving flightless birds.

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Human settlement of the Pacific islands triggered a wave of faunal extinctions that occurred so rapidly that their dynamics are difficult to reconstruct in space and time. These extinctions included a large wingless bird called the moa, endemic to New Zealand. In a new study, New Zealand scientists say University of Adelaide and others have reconstructed the distribution and extinction dynamics of six moa species across New Zealand. They find that the final populations of all moa species generally occur in the cold, mountainous areas that are the last remaining and least affected by humans. They also find that the final moa population refugia continue to function as isolated sanctuaries for New Zealand's flightless birds.

This is an artist's impression of the Upland Mower. Megarapteryx didinusby George Edward Lodge, 1907.

“Our study overcame previous logistical challenges, allowing us to track the population dynamics of six moa species at a resolution previously thought impossible,” said Dr Damian Fordham, from the University of Adelaide.

“We achieved this by combining advanced computational modelling with the vast fossil record, palaeoclimatic information and innovative reconstructions of human settlement and expansion across New Zealand.”

“Our study shows that despite significant differences in the ecology, demographics and timing of extinction of moa species, their distributions collapsed and converged to the same regions in the North and South Islands of New Zealand.”

Dr Fordham and his colleagues found that the last populations of any moa species lived in the same isolated, cold mountain regions that currently house many of the last populations of New Zealand's most endangered flightless birds, including Mount Aspiring in the South Island and the Ruahine Ranges in the North Island.

Hearst's Eagle (Hieraethus Moulay) attacking two moas. Image by John Megahan/PLoS Biology, doi:10.1371/journalplo.0030020.

“Moa populations were likely first to disappear from the highest quality lowland habitats favoured by Polynesian settlers, and the rate of population decline decreased with increasing elevation and distance moved inland,” said Dr Sean Tomlinson, also from the University of Adelaide.

“By identifying the last remaining populations of moa and comparing them with the distribution of flightless birds in New Zealand, we found that these last refuges also protect many of the surviving populations of takahe, weka and great spotted kiwi today.”

“Furthermore, these ancient refugia for the moa overlap with the last mainland populations of the critically endangered kakapo.”

“Although the drivers of the recent declines of New Zealand's endemic flightless birds are different to those that caused the ancient moa extinction, this study shows that their spatial dynamics are similar.”

Moas fed on trees and shrubs in the forest understory. Image by Heinrich Harder.

“The main commonality between past and present refuges is not that they are the best habitats for flightless birds, but that they remain the last refuges, the least affected by humans,” said Dr Jamie Wood, also from the University of Adelaide.

“As with previous waves of Polynesian expansion, European habitat conversion across New Zealand, and the spread of the animals they introduced, was directional, moving from the lowlands towards the colder, less hospitable mountain regions.”

Team result Published in a journal Natural Ecology and Evolution.

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S. Tomlinson othersThe ecological dynamics of the moa extinction revealed a convergent refugium where flightless birds live today. Nat Ecol EvolPublished online July 24, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41559-024-02449-x

Source: www.sci.news