Mars and Earth - a partnership in life?

louis · 2019-11-13 15:56:34

This is a very interesting and informative article:

https://journalofastrobiology.com/Mars5.html

Some take-home points:

1. There are many organisms that survive well in the upper atmosphere...they can eventually move outside the atmosphere into space, where they continue to survive.

2. There is nothing to stop the organisms referred to in 1 above from travelling to Mars and then reaching the Mars surface.

3. Something I knew - but not everyone is aware of this...meteorites can throw up regolith rich in organisms which can be transferred from Earth to Mars or vice versa.

4. Many expert scientists think that there are fungi and lichens on the Martian surface on the basis of photographic evidence.

louis · 2019-11-13 16:30:47

Fig 8 in the above article is particularly powerful evidence of a fungi-type growth.

SpaceNut · 2019-11-13 17:41:59

Fungi have been reported to not being killed on the ISS and we have see other stuff shield when samples were brought back from the moon as well.
The possibility has been seen in some of the images for mars.
We have seen the fluctuation of methane in seasonal context and now we have a seasonal oxygen release as well. Both are indicators of microbial life at a minimum.

SpaceNut · 2019-11-13 17:49:18

Here are the several topics to the point in which we have discussed the possibility:

Crabs, convergence and viability
Convergent evolution? How much convergence?
Seasonal Methane on Mars
Methane on Mars - Proof for life on Mars?
Earth bacteria could thrive in briny water on Mars
Covergent evolution Mars-Earth

I stopped after these as I am sure we have more

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#1 2019-11-13 15:56:34

Mars and Earth - a partnership in life?

#2 2019-11-13 16:30:47

Re: Mars and Earth - a partnership in life?

#3 2019-11-13 17:41:59

Re: Mars and Earth - a partnership in life?

#4 2019-11-13 17:49:18

Re: Mars and Earth - a partnership in life?

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