Japan's hot springs host ancient-style microbes
Scientists just found ancient-style microbes living in Japan's iron-rich hot springs—almost like stepping back 2.3 billion years to when Earth's atmosphere was first getting oxygen.
The research, led by Fatima Li-Hau and published this year, reveals these modern microbial communities resemble ancient transitional ecosystems from the time of the Great Oxidation Event.
Iron over oxygen
Most of these spring-dwelling bacteria rely on iron instead of oxygen to survive, which is pretty wild since that's how early life on Earth worked.
They're deeply involved in essential cycles like carbon and nitrogen cycling—basically helping keep their tiny ecosystem running.
Genes for partial sulfur cycling
Even cooler: the team found genes for partial sulfur cycling—even though there isn't much sulfur around—which hints at some clever survival strategies.
Time capsule of early life
Studying these hot spring microbes helps scientists understand how life adapted as Earth shifted from low-oxygen to more breathable conditions.
It's like having a living time capsule, showing us how early ecosystems survived—and maybe giving clues about life elsewhere, too.