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Microbial Diversity in Surface Iron-Rich Aqueous Environments: Implications for Seeking Signs of Life on MarsThe success of selecting future landing sites on Mars to discover extinct and/or extant extraterrestrial life is dependent on the correct approximation of available knowledge about terrestrial paleogeochemistry and life evolution to Martian (paleo) geology and geochemistry. It is well known that both Earth and Mars are Fe rich. This widespread occurrence suggests that Fe may have played a key role in early life forms, where it probably served as a key constituent in early prosthetic moieties in many proteins of ancient microbes on Earth and likely Mars. The second critical idea is the premise that Life on Mars could most likely have developed when Mars experienced tectonic activity [1] which dramatically decreased around 1 bin years after Martian creation. After that Martian life could have gone extinct or hibernated in the deep subsurface, which would be expensive to reach in contrast to the successful work of Martian surface rovers. Here we analyze the diversity of microbes in several terrestrial Fe rich surface environments in conjunction with the phylogeny and molecular timing of emergence of those microbes on Earth. Anticipated results should help evaluate future landing sites on Mars in searches for biosignatures.
Document ID
20100005364
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Brown, I. I.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Allen, C. C.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Tringe, S. G.
(Department of Energy United States)
Klatt, C. G.
(Montana State Univ. MT, United States)
Bryant, D. A.
(Pennsylvania State Univ. PA, United States)
Sarkisova, S. A.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Garrison, D. H.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
McKay, D. S.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2010
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-19784
Meeting Information
Meeting: Astrobiology Science Conference
Location: League City, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: April 26, 2010
End Date: April 29, 2010
Sponsors: NASA Headquarters
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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