What do endoliths do?

Endoliths are organisms that live inside rocks or in pores between mineral grains. Many endoliths are autotrophs, meaning they are able to make their own organic compounds by utilizing gas or dissolved nutrients from water moving through fractured rock.

How old are endoliths?

Early data suggest some only engage in cell division once every hundred years. In August 2013 researchers reported evidence of endoliths in the ocean floor, perhaps millions of years old and reproducing only once every 10,000 years.

What animals live deep underground?

They include: A wide variety of worms — flatworms, roundworms, and ringed worms related to earthworms. Aquatic organisms called rotifers. A copepod, a tiny relative of shrimp.

Does anything live deep underground?

There are millions of distinct types of bacteria, most yet to be discovered or characterized, that form a kind of microbial “dark matter.” Deep Life scientists say about 70% of Earth’s bacteria and archaea live in the subsurface. That’s astounding.

Why do you eat rocks?

It’s a behavioral and/or mental-health condition called pica, the Latin word for magpie, a bird that will eat anything. Again, the name isn’t poetic hyperbole. “People will eat anything when it comes to pica,” said Dr.

Where can endoliths be found in the world?

In addition, researchers have found evidence for endolithic communities surviving in deep mines, such as a South African gold mine. ( more info) Organisms living in these environments not only deal with extreme temperatures, but also intense pressures, total darkness, and anoxic conditions.

Where are most lichens found in the world?

Many species of lichen are found in the world’s hot arid areas. Two other pages are also relevant to a discussion of lichens in hot, dry regions. BIOLOGICAL SOIL CRUSTS are soil-inhabiting communities composed of varying mixes of lichens, bryophytes, algae and cyanobacteria and have significant ecological roles in hot, dry habitats.

Which is the best description of an endolithic system?

The micro- biotope where these different endolithic species live together has been called a Subsurface Lithoautotrophic Microbial Ecosystem ( SLiME ), or endolithic systems within the subterranean lithic biome. Endolithic systems are still at an early stage of exploration.

How are endoliths able to make their own organic compounds?

Many endoliths are autotrophs, meaning they are able to make their own organic compounds by utilizing gas or dissolved nutrients from water moving through fractured rock. Others may incorporate inorganic compounds found in their rock substrate (possibly by excreting acids to dissolve the rock). Where on Earth are Endoliths Found?