In a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, an international team of scientists presented a model for the development of
Researchers have developed computer models,which imitated the ancient atmosphere and lithosphere of Mars. In the models they created, the scientists included hydrogen-consuming microbes, similar to those found on Earth at the earliest stage of the planet's evolution. The study found that the same microbes that produced methane on Earth to warm the planet were doing exactly the opposite on Mars.
Ancient Mars was richer in carbon dioxide andhydrogen than Earth. These gases had a "greenhouse effect", warming the planet and making it suitable for early life forms. Because Mars is farther away from the Sun than Earth, more greenhouse gases are needed to heat it.
The first microbes began to extract hydrogen fromatmosphere and replace it with methane. This served to slow down the warming. As a result, the surface of Mars turned into an inhospitable red wasteland, and early microbes were forced to go deep into the planet in order to survive.
One of the authors of the study, Boris Sotreya fromThe Institute of Biology of the Higher Normal School (IBENS) in Paris told Space.com that hydrogen was a very strong warming gas due to the absorption effect that occurs when carbon dioxide and hydrogen molecules collide.
Based on the simulations, the scientists identified threeplaces where Mars exploration missions can find traces of ancient microbes. One such site is the ancient lakebed in Lake Jezero Crater, where the Perseverance rover is already looking for signs of ancient life. The other two are part of the lowland plains of Hellas (Hellas Planitia) and Isis (Isidis Planitia).
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