Ancient microbes survived asteroid impact that killed dinosaurs
Scientists just found signs of really old microbes living deep inside Finland's Lake Lappajarvi crater—a spot created by a massive asteroid impact 78 million years ago.
The crash heated things up to about 2,000°C and wiped out any life, but amazingly, microbes managed to come back within four million years, settling into cracks in the rocks below the surface.
Research could help in finding life on Mars
A team from the University of Helsinki and partners dug deep and used crystal samples to figure out when these tiny organisms returned.
Their research shows that impact craters like this can actually become safe homes for life over time—even after total destruction.
This discovery could help scientists searching for life on Mars or trying to understand how life bounces back in extreme places.