A Life Less Obvious: Study Sheds Light on the Evolution of Underground Microbes
Published:07 Nov.2021 Source:University of Arizona
These ecosystems host microbial lineages that are of interest for understanding the origin and evolution of life on our planet but remain the least explored and understood ecosystems on Earth, according to the authors of a new study that takes a closer look at how deep habitats changed during Earth's tumultuous past.
‘Understanding the history of the deep biosphere can provide insight into the evolution of life on Earth,’ said Peter Reiners, a professor of geosciences and associate dean of the University of Arizona College of Science, who co-authored the paper with Henrik Drake, an associate professor at the Linnaeus University in Sweden. ‘This requires understanding the complex evolution of habitable conditions in these underground environments, but such assessment had not been presented until now.’