According to a study, life on Mars could have disappeared on its own

The search for life beyond Earth has many candidates as potential gathering places. One of them is Marswhich is believed to have been full of oceans and water in the past, where microscopic creatures lived.

Now, according to a new study from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, a wild but not nonsensical theory has been put forward: The Red Planet could have been inhabited. methanogens which eventually affected the environment and led to their own extinction.

Possible life on Mars

The simulation performed in the study puts Mars in an underworld full of microscopic creatures that converted the chemical energy of their environment into methane as a form of waste. These creatures also live on Earth, but in extreme conditions.

Most of the experts in Mars they agree that the planet began with an atmosphere that was much denser than it is today. Rich in carbon dioxide and hydrogen, it likely created a temperate climate that allowed water to flow and possibly microbial life to flourish, according to Regis Ferrier, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. one of the two lead authors of the article.

It should be noted that the researchers do not claim that life existed in Mars primitive, but if it existed, Ferrier said, “our research shows that Mars the underground primitive was most likely suitable for methanogenic microbes.”

But…

However, the study also shows that the behavior of the microbes was counterproductive to their very existence.

While ancient Martian life may have flourished initially, its chemical feedback from the atmosphere would have caused the planet to cool globally, eventually rendering its surface uninhabitable and driving life deeper and deeper underground and possibly to the ground.

“According to our results, the atmosphere Mars it would be completely changed by biological activity very quickly, in a few tens or hundreds of thousands of years,” said Boris Soterey, the first author of the article. “By removing hydrogen from the atmosphere, microbes have dramatically cooled the planet’s climate.”

surface Mars primeval would soon become glacial as a result of biological activity. In other words, climate change caused by Martian life could very soon render the planet’s surface uninhabitable.

Future exploration missions Mars may provide answers, but researchers say problems remain

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