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Nematoda de las profundidades subterráneas de Sudáfrica
G Borgonie1, A García-Moyano, D Litthauer
1Department of Biology, Nematology Section, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, B9000 Ghent, Belgium. gborgonie@gmail.com
Nature
|June 4, 2011
Resumen
Los científicos descubrieron nematodos, un tipo de organismo multicelular, que viven a kilómetros de profundidad en las minas sudafricanas. Este hallazgo amplía la biosfera conocida y sugiere que la vida compleja puede existir en otros ambientes profundos de la Tierra y extraterrestres.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Geobiología Geobiología Geobiología.
- Microbiología Microbiología.
- Ecología Ecología Ecología.
Sus antecedentes:
- Anteriormente se pensaba que la biosfera subterránea profunda albergaba sólo organismos unicelulares.
- Las limitaciones ambientales como la temperatura y la disponibilidad de energía parecían excluir la vida compleja a estas profundidades.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Investigar la presencia y las características de organismos multicelulares en el subsuelo profundo.
- Ampliar la comprensión de la conocida biosfera metazoaria y los ecosistemas profundos de la Tierra.
Principales métodos:
- Muestreo de agua de fractura de minas profundas en Sudáfrica (0,9-3,6 km de profundidad).
- Identificación y caracterización de especies de nematodos recuperadas, incluida una nueva especie (Halicephalobus mephisto).
- Análisis de la edad del agua utilizando la datación por carbono 14.
Principales resultados:
- Los nematodos, incluido Halicephalobus mephisto, se detectaron en aguas de fractura subterráneas profundas, no en aguas mineras.
- Estos nematodos toleran altas temperaturas, se reproducen asexualmente y se alimentan de bacterias del subsuelo.
- Se determinó que el agua de la fractura era agua paleometeórica de entre 3.000 y 12.000 años.
Conclusiones:
- Los nematodos habitan en ambientes subterráneos profundos, de alta temperatura e hipoxia.
- Estos hallazgos sugieren que los nematodos pueden regular las poblaciones microbianas a través del pastoreo.
- El descubrimiento amplía la conocida biosfera metazoaria y tiene implicaciones para la astrobiología y la búsqueda de vida extraterrestre.
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