Could this kind of bacteria that was found beneath a glacier in Antarctica survive on Mars?
A good question. I agree with vorenhut. Possibly. There is plenty of H2O on Mars in the form of ice. Occasionally some of this ice melts; in some places on Mars, the temperature sometimes rises above freezing. You need liquid water for metabolism to take place. There’s no free oxygen on Mars, but even on Earth, anaerobic bacteria are common. Mars is quite a hospitable place for life compared with the bottom of a glacier, which doesn’t even have sunlight as an energy source. And remember that even on Earth there are life forms that are independent of sunlight, like the organisms around deep ocean vents and the bacteria deep underground. With a bit of genetic engineering, some time this century we’ll be able to make organisms that can use sunlight to reduce the iron oxide in Mars’ rocks and give it a breathable atmosphere.
