“Alien” ecosystem discovered in remote region of Atacama desert
A team of scientists has uncovered an otherworldly ecosystem in a remote part of the Atacama desert, which they say is “unlike anything” ever seen before.
The discovery was made in Argentina’s Puna de Atacama, a giant plateau more than 12,000 feet above sea level. This incredibly barren and dry environment rarely sees rain and is relentlessly pummeled by sunlight, making it nearly impossible for most plants and animals to survive.
Last April, geologist Brian Hynek, of the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), was analyzing satellite images of the region when he stumbled upon a network of lagoons. Intrigued, he and microbiologist Maria Farías embarked on a challenging journey to reach the mysterious formations.
After hiking several miles in the blazing sun, the scientists were rewarded with the sight of a network of 12 lagoons, stretching over 25 acres and surrounded by barren mountains in the distance. In the lagoons, the researchers found huge mounds of green growth, identified as stromatolites – complex microbial communities that form massive rock mounds as they grow, much like corals building reefs.
However, these stromatolites were unlike any seen before, resembling ancient communities that existed in Earth’s early history, when oxygen was almost nonexistent in the atmosphere.
The discovery has the potential to provide insights not only into the early forms of life on Earth but also how life may have arisen on Mars, providing lessons for the search for life on the Red Planet.
Unfortunately, the future of this unique ecosystem is uncertain, as a company outside of Argentina has plans for lithium mining in the area. As a result, the scientists fear that this extraordinary discovery could be lost or disturbed forever.
The discovery has been described as “the biggest eureka moment” by Hynek, who emphasized the significance of finding such undocumented phenomena on our planet.
The scientists are hoping to conduct further experiments and protect some of the sites before they are destroyed, to gain a better understanding of the previously unknown stromatolites and the complex microbial communities thriving in the Atacama lagoons.