Lakes hidden under the Antarctic ice could host ancient forms of microbial life.
This is supported by the study published in the journal Science Advances by researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Lyon and the British Antarctic Survey, the British organization that deals with research and scientific dissemination on Antarctica.
According to the authors of the study, the geothermal heat coming from inside the Earth, which would facilitate the circulation of oxygen and nutrients, would favor the existence of these life forms in subglacial lakes.
These primitive organisms could be unique, because they would have evolved over millions of years in total isolation.
The subglacial lakes in Antarctica, experts explain, are formed as a result of the enormous pressure generated by the thick ice cap, which can favor the melting of the ice in depth.
More than 400 such lakes have been discovered so far in Antarctica, many of which have remained isolated from each other and from the surface for millions of years.
An ideal condition, the authors point out, to host primitive forms of life.
The study of these particular environments, the researchers specify, will help to understand how ancient forms of life have evolved by adapting to extreme cold conditions, which have already occurred in the past history of the Earth.
The research could provide valuable information to astrobiologists who study the possible existence of life forms on frozen worlds of the Solar System, such as in the submerged lakes of Europa, Jupiter's moon, or Enceladus, Saturn's moon, or beneath frozen ice caps. of Mars.