Ancient bugs may be lurking beneath the surface of Mars, according to new research. Microscopic microbes can survive for hundreds of millions of years in “suspended animation.” Being buried under the dirt would shield them from cosmic and solar radiation, say biologists.
The finding is based on experiments on a species dubbed Conan the Bacterium – after the superhero played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Known scientifically as Deinococcus radiodurans, it has even more amazing powers – thriving in freezing, arid, or acidic environments.
