A team of scientists from the University of Tokyo has discovered living microbes inside a 2-billion-year-old rock fracture, challenging the known limits of life's survival. The discovery, published in the journal Microbial Ecology, proves that life can survive in extreme conditions for extraordinary periods of time.
The samples were taken from the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC), in north-eastern South Africa, a mineral-rich area. About 70% of the world's platinum comes from here. Because it formed from slowly cooled magma, the BIC has maintained stable conditions for microbial life for billions of years.
Scientists extracted a 30-centimeter rock sample from about 16 meters deep, and through advanced analysis, discovered microbes isolated in cracks, protected by layers of clay, which protected them from external interference. The rock, up to 8.8 kilometers thick, has remained largely undisturbed, providing an ideal habitat for the survival of microbes on geological time scales. These organisms have lived in slow motion, evolving over millions of years.
"We didn't know that rocks of this age could harbor life: until now, the oldest environment in which living microorganisms had been found was a 100-million-year-old deposit beneath the ocean floor," said Tokyo professor Yohey Suzuki, explaining the significance of the discovery.
These organisms have survived in isolation, without interactions with the external environment, and confirmation that they are native was made through technologies such as electron microscopy and DNA analysis.
The researchers used a combination of infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. By staining the cells' DNA and examining the surrounding proteins and clay, they confirmed that the organisms were alive and native to the ancient sample. The clay played a key role in their preservation, creating a natural barrier that sealed the fractures and prevented exchanges with the outside environment.
The discovery has sparked debate about the possibility that similar life could exist on other planets such as Mars, where similar subsurface environments may have preserved ancient organisms. According to Professor Yohey Suzuki, this study could help in analyzing similar samples currently being collected by NASA's Perseverance rover.
The discovered microbes represent living time capsules, offering us a unique window into life on early Earth – and perhaps beyond.
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