These microbes in Antarctica don’t live anywhere else
Researchers have discovered that some microbes in Antarctica are unique to the icy continent and are found nowhere else on Earth. The post These microbes in Antarctica don’t live anywhere else first appeared on EarthSky .
Researchers at the University of Colorado have discovered unique microbes in Antarctic soil that are not found anywhere else on Earth. These microbes have adapted to the extreme conditions found in Antarctica, such as extreme cold and dryness. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed soil samples from various locations, including Antarctica, the Tibetan Plateau, Svalbard, and Chile’s Atacama Desert.
The researchers found that some Antarctic soil microbes are distinct from those found in other parts of the world, which has implications for understanding how microbial life disperses around the planet. The team collected over 100 Antarctic strains of a specific group of microbes called Arthrobacter and nearly 500 strains from other locations worldwide.
While Arthrobacter is a common group of microbes found across various environments, individual strains from Antarctica exhibit a unique biological history.
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