Weird 'Fettucine' Rocks May Help Us Spot Life on Mars

[Judi Lynn]

By Meghan Bartels 2 days ago



A terrestrial bacterium called Sulfurihydrogenibium yellowstonense makes its home in hot springs with conditions similar to certain areas on Mars. The bacteria trigger the formation of a rock type called travertine, which can form in pasta-like strands.(Image: © Tom Murphy)

Let's be very clear: No one is suggesting that Martians feast on pasta during a Red Planet all-you-can-eat buffet.

But if scientists find a type of rock on Mars that looks a bit like fettuccine, it could be a key sign that a certain type of bacteria once lived on Earth's next-door neighbor, researchers said in a new study. That hypothesis is based exclusively on observations made here on Earth; scientists have found neither this type of rock on the Red Planet nor any definitive proof of life on Mars. Nevertheless, it's an intriguing feature that scientists can look for as they seek to better understand the Red Planet.

"If we see the deposition of this kind of extensive filamentous rock on other planets, we would know it's a fingerprint of life," lead author Bruce Fouke, a geologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said in a statement. "It's big and it's unique. No other rocks look like this. It would be definitive evidence of the presence of alien microbes."

Fouke and his colleagues studied bacteria taken from Yellowstone National Park's Mammoth Hot Springs, where the water is alkaline and reaches temperatures of over 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius).

More:
https://www.space.com/mars-life-fettuccine-rock-formation.html

[Ilsa]

1. Not fettuccine. Linguini, maybe. nt kick & rec