Unveiling microbial preservation under hyperacidic and oxidizing conditions in the Oligocene Rio Tinto deposit.

ABSTRACT: The preservation of biosignatures on Mars is largely associated with extensive deposits of clays formed under mild early Noachian conditions (> 3.9 Ga). They were followed by widespread precipitation of acidic sulfates considered adverse for biomolecule preservation. In this paper, an exhaustive mass spectrometry investigation of ferric subsurface materials in the Rio Tinto gossan deposit (~ 25 Ma) provides evidence of well-preserved molecular biosignatures under oxidative and acidic conditions. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analysis shows a direct association between physical-templating biological structures and molecular biosignatures. This relation implies that the quality of molecular preservation is exceptional and provides information on microbial life for

SUBMITTER: Fernandez-Remolar DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8563943 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature