Scientists found a unique ecosystem in a very remote desert in Argentina, unlike anything ever seen. It could be a window into the earliest life forms on Earth 3.5 billion years ago and even on ancient Mars.
A Desert Like No Other
The alien environment, previously unknown to science, comprises crystal-clear lagoons surrounded by vast salt plains. They are located in Puna de Atacama, a high plateau desert in Argentina, over 12,000 feet (3,657.6 meters) above sea level.
'La Puna' comes from the Quechua dialect, which means 'a region of high land.' Puna de Atacama is located in an area that spans northern Argentina, northern Chile, southern Peru, and western Bolivia.
The area of La Puna in northern Argentina is one of the driest environments on Earth, having temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius throughout the day and -30 degrees Celsius at night. It is unique from other areas of dry Puna since it is broken up by mountains and depressions instead of flat land at high altitudes. Due to sparse rainfall and intense solar radiation, it creates an environment where only a few plants or animals can survive.
A World of Ancient Microbial Life Forms
New research suggests that the lagoons could be home to something else. In April last year, geologist Brian Hynek from the University of Colorado Boulder stumbled upon this ecosystem while examining satellite images of the Atacama highland desert. Hynek and microbiologist Maria Farías hiked several miles through the barren landscape before they discovered the lagoons.
The ecosystem spans about 25 acres (10 hectares), covering 12 lagoons with an 'alien' appearance from an aerial perspective. Beneath the crystal clear water lie massive mounds of vegetation that look like miniature mountains, about 13 feet (4 meters) wide and several meters high.
Initial assessments suggest that there is a presence of stromatolites embedded with uncommon amounts of gypsum. Stromatolites are microbial reefs believed to be the oldest known evidence of life on Earth.
Contemporary stromatolites are relatively small, barely reaching a few millimeters in size. Meanwhile, their earliest versions during the Early Archaic period were believed to be massive, growing up to 20 feet (6 meters) in height.
The structures discovered in the Puna de Atacama lagoons closely resemble the prehistoric communities rather than their modern counterparts. The stromatolites found in the alien ecosystem are too vast to be a representation of modern life.
Hynek and his team believe that the bacterial communities within the highland desert lagoons in Argentina could provide insights into the emergence of life on Mars. It was proposed that the red planet had a similar environment to early Earth, so understanding these contemporary communities on our planet could help researchers find evidence of life in Martian rocks. The research team plans to conduct further experiments to confirm that stromatolites are actively building rocky formations. They also aim to explore how the microbes can survive the harsh conditions in this ecosystem.
The team, however, may be running out of time. A lithium mining company has already leased the area. Once the drilling starts, the Atacama lagoons could be transformed irreversibly.
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