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Morphological Biosignatures in Early Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Materials

  • Chapter
Strategies of Life Detection

Part of the book series: Space Sciences Series of ISSI ((SSSI,volume 25))

Abstract

Biosignatures in early terrestrial rocks are highly relevant in the search for traces of life on Mars because the early geological environments of the two planets were, in many respects, similar and, thus, the potential habitats for early life forms were similar. However, the identification and interpretation of biosignatures in ancient terrestrial rocks has proven contentious over the last few years. Recently, new investigations using very detailed field studies combined with highly sophisticated analytical techniques have begun to document a large range of biosignatures in Early Archaean rocks. Early life on Earth was diversified, widespread and relatively evolved, but its traces are generally, but not always, small and subtle. In this contribution I use a few examples of morphological biosignatures from the Early-Mid Archaean to demonstrate their variety in terms of size and type: macroscopic stromatolites from the 3.443 Ga Strelley Pool Chert, Pilbara; a meso-microscopic microbial mat from the 3.333 Ga Josefsdal Chert, Barberton; microscopic microbial colonies and a biofilm from the 3.446 Ga Kitty’s Gap Chert, Pilbara; and microscopic microbial corrosion pits in the glassy rinds of 3.22–3.48 Ga pillow lavas from Barberton. Some macroscopic and microscopic structures may be identifiable in an in situ robotic mission to Mars and in situ methods of organic molecule detection may be able to reveal organic traces of life. However, it is concluded that it will probably be necessary to return suitably chosen Martian rocks to Earth for the reliable identification of signs of life, since multiple observational and analytical methods will be necessary, especially if Martian life is significantly different from terrestrial life.

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  1. Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans cedex 02, France

    Frances Westall

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  1. International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, Switzerland

    Oliver Botta

  2. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Jeffrey L. Bada

  3. Robotics & Planetary Exploration Laboratory, Centro de Astrobiología (INTA/CSIC), Insituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Madrid, Spain

    Javier Gomez-Elvira

  4. Department of Geology, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium

    Emmanuelle Javaux

  5. Observatoire de Bordeaux, Floriac, France

    Franck Selsis

  6. Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Roger Summons

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Westall, F. (2008). Morphological Biosignatures in Early Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Materials. In: Botta, O., Bada, J.L., Gomez-Elvira, J., Javaux, E., Selsis, F., Summons, R. (eds) Strategies of Life Detection. Space Sciences Series of ISSI, vol 25. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77516-6_9

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