Life on Other Planets  

Is it possible that life can exist without sunlight?
In 1977 there was a major scientific discovery on the deep seafloor:

Hot lava + Cold ocean water = Life

Athermophyllic  bacteria called Archaea  thrive in complete darkness and form the base of a unique food chain at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. These bacteria get nutrition and energy from the minerals and the heat carried by the water rushing out of the black smokers. Archaea are special because they may represent one of the oldest life-forms on Earth. In fact, it is possible that life on Earth may have originated in ancient deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites!  It is even possible that other planets, where there is both liquid water and volcanic activity (for example, within the crust on Mars), may also once have sustained life similar to the Archaea.  Study of deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites and the black smoker structures themselves will help scientists to understand how life originated on our planet and possibly on other planets.


©1997 American Museum of Natural History, New York City