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Discovery of Primitive Microorganisms in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents – Unexpected Ecological Insights from Copper-Laden Environments

Research findings related to the Astrobiology Center’s Sattelite Research Topic have been released.
Figure: Phylogenetic tree of life evolution based on genomic information. (From the University of Tokyo press release)

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  • 深Explorations of primitive lives have been carried out at deep-sea hydrothermal vents as prime candidates for the origin of life. The interiors of metal sulfide chimneys(*1) are considered crucial environments supporting the emergence of life and its early evolution.
  • They advanced visualization techniques of microbes residing within rocks and revealed the presence of significantly small microbes (approximately 1/10,000th the size of a 1 mm scale) inhabiting the interiors of metal sulfide chimneys.
  • Genetic analysis results indicate the dominance of microbes born in the early stages of life evolution within these chimneys, providing crucial insights into early life ecology.

(Source: University of Tokyo Press Release)

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