Andrew Yee
September 27th 05, 03:37 PM
Press Office
University of Leeds
Leeds, U.K.
For further information, please contact:
Hannah Love, University of Leeds
+44 (0)113 343 4100
26/09/05
Secrets of the deep may hold key to life on other planets
Extraordinary creatures who inhabit extreme underwater conditions are
being investigated by University scientists in a three-year project. These
deep-sea communities could reveal an evolutionary history different to
anything else on earth and even give us clues to how life could exist on
other planets.
The creatures live around hydrothermal vents -- incredibly hot
environments in the deep sea -- and are unique because they depend on
bacteria living inside them for their own survival. These bacteria take
their energy from hydrogen sulphide in the vent fluid.
"They're among the fastest growing animals on the planet -- a full
community can grow in just three years," said earth and environment
lecturer Dr Crispin Little.
"Vent communities are dependent on geochemical rather than solar energy
sources and this buffers them from almost all major events, such as mass
extinctions or climate change.
"Their evolutionary history is likely to be radically different to other,
photosynthesis-based communities -- they may even mirror life forms on
other planets."
Very little is known about the geological history of these animals,
discovered only 20 years ago, in particular how they become fossilised. Dr
Little and geochemistry colleagues have been awarded a natural environment
research council grant to design and build seafloor fossilisation
experiments to investigate this fundamental process. "We've already found
a number of fossils, but don't know how they came to be there," said Dr
Little. "Until we know more it's very difficult to interpret the fossil
record we already have."
Pieces of hydrothermal animals have already been placed in titanium mesh
cages at hydrothermal vent sites 3.5km down in the ocean. Dr Little will
return to these sites in the East Pacific Rise off the coast of South
America over the next three years to examine the fossilisation process.
See http://earth.leeds.ac.uk/people/little/ for futher information.
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/510/images/little1.jpg]
Dr Little examines one of his huge collection of fossilised creatures
University of Leeds
Leeds, U.K.
For further information, please contact:
Hannah Love, University of Leeds
+44 (0)113 343 4100
26/09/05
Secrets of the deep may hold key to life on other planets
Extraordinary creatures who inhabit extreme underwater conditions are
being investigated by University scientists in a three-year project. These
deep-sea communities could reveal an evolutionary history different to
anything else on earth and even give us clues to how life could exist on
other planets.
The creatures live around hydrothermal vents -- incredibly hot
environments in the deep sea -- and are unique because they depend on
bacteria living inside them for their own survival. These bacteria take
their energy from hydrogen sulphide in the vent fluid.
"They're among the fastest growing animals on the planet -- a full
community can grow in just three years," said earth and environment
lecturer Dr Crispin Little.
"Vent communities are dependent on geochemical rather than solar energy
sources and this buffers them from almost all major events, such as mass
extinctions or climate change.
"Their evolutionary history is likely to be radically different to other,
photosynthesis-based communities -- they may even mirror life forms on
other planets."
Very little is known about the geological history of these animals,
discovered only 20 years ago, in particular how they become fossilised. Dr
Little and geochemistry colleagues have been awarded a natural environment
research council grant to design and build seafloor fossilisation
experiments to investigate this fundamental process. "We've already found
a number of fossils, but don't know how they came to be there," said Dr
Little. "Until we know more it's very difficult to interpret the fossil
record we already have."
Pieces of hydrothermal animals have already been placed in titanium mesh
cages at hydrothermal vent sites 3.5km down in the ocean. Dr Little will
return to these sites in the East Pacific Rise off the coast of South
America over the next three years to examine the fossilisation process.
See http://earth.leeds.ac.uk/people/little/ for futher information.
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/510/images/little1.jpg]
Dr Little examines one of his huge collection of fossilised creatures