Researchers Find 60% Marine-Linked Diatoms at Blood Falls, Backing 2.5 Million-Year Ocean Origin
Updated
Updated · Smithsonian Magazine · Aug 6
Researchers Find 60% Marine-Linked Diatoms at Blood Falls, Backing 2.5 Million-Year Ocean Origin
3 articles · Updated · Smithsonian Magazine · Aug 6
Summary
167 samples from Blood Falls and nearby sites revealed a thriving microbial community at Taylor Glacier’s terminus, including marine-associated eukaryotes rarely expected more than 20 miles from the ocean.
More than 60% of diatoms in the red mud and sediments showed ancestral ties to ocean life, while nearby locations were dominated by terrestrial and freshwater microbes.
The finding strengthens the theory that Blood Falls is fed by a long-isolated pool of seawater trapped beneath Taylor Glacier after ancient flooding, rather than by windblown ocean material alone.
Genetic analyses also suggest the microbes evolved pathways for photosynthesis, stress response, cellular repair and salt tolerance, highlighting how life adapted to one of Antarctica’s harshest habitats.
Researchers say those marine eukaryotes could help narrow when the brine became isolated, offering a new clock for Blood Falls’ ancient history.