Abstract
Life on Earth survives in a variety of environments with microorganisms having the most diversity in lifestyles. The limit of survival in extreme environments is of interest in understanding the limits of biochemistry and potentially useful information can be obtained from the adaptive strategies of extremophiles. The study of life in extreme environments also provides the basis for considerations of possible life on other worlds in our solar system — conditions that are extreme compared to Earth.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bada, J.L. and McDonald, G.D. (1995) Amino acid racemization on Mars: Implications for the preservation of biomolecules from an extinct Martian biota, Icarus 114, 139–143.
Battista, J.R. (1997) Against all odds: The survival strategies of Deinococcus radiodurans, Ann Rev. Microbiol. 51, 203–24.
Blochl, E., Rachel, R., Burggraf, S., Hafenbradl, D., Jannasch, H.W., and Steuer, K.O. (1997) Pyrolobus iumarii, gen. and sp. nov. represents a novel group of Archaea, extending the upper temperature limit for life at 113 C. Extremeophiles 1, 14–21.
Boston, P.J., M.V. Ivanov, and McKay, C.P. (1992) On the possibility of chemosynthetic ecosystems in subsurface habitats on Mars, Icarus 95, 300–308.
Carr, M.H. (1996) Water on Mars. Oxford University Press, New York.
Carr, M.H., Belton, M.J.S, Chapman, C.R., Davies, M.E., Geissler, P., Greenberg, R., McEwen, A.S., Tufts, B.R., Greeley, R., Sullivan, R., Head, J.W., Pappalardo, R.T., Klaasen, K.P., Johnson, T.W., Kaufman, J., Senske, D., Moore, J. Neukum, G., Schubert, G., Burns, J.A., Thomas, P. and Veverka, J. (1998) Evidence for a subsurface ocean on Europa, Nature 391, 363–365.
Connerney, J.E.P., Acuna, M.H., Wasilewski, P. Ness, N.F., Renie, C. Mazelle, D. Vignes. R. P. Lin. Mitchell, D. and Cloutier. P. (1999) Magnetic Lineations in the Ancient Crust of Mars. Science 284. 794–798.
Crawford, G.D. and Stevenson, D.J. (1988) Gas-driven water volcanism and resurfacing of Europa, Icarus. 73, 66–79.
Davis. W.L. and McKay. C.P. (1996) Origins of life: A comparison of theories and application to Mars. Origins Life Evol. Biosph. 26. 61–73.
Gilichinsky, D.A., Vorobyova, E.A., Erokhina, L.G., Fyordorov-Dayvdov, D.G., and Chaikovskaya. N.R. (1992). Long-term preservation of microbial ecosystems in permafrost, Adv. Space Res. 12(4). 255–263.
Kanavarioti, A. and Mancinelli R.L. (1990) Could organic matter have been preserved on Mars for 3.5 billion years? Icarus 84. 196–202.
Kieffer, H.H., Martin, T.Z., Peterfreund, A.R., Jakosky, B.M., Miner, E.D., and Palluconi, F.D. (1977) Thermal and albedo mapping of Mars during the Viking primary mission, J. Geophys. Res. 82, 4, 249-4, 299.
Kushner, D., 1981. Extreme environments: Are there any limits to life? in Comets and the Origin of Life, C. Ponnamperuma (ed) D. Reidel, Dordrecht, pp. 241–248.
Laul, J.C., Smith, M.R., Wanke, H., Jagoutz, E., Dreibus, G., Palme, H., Spettel, B., Burchele, A., Lipschultz, M.E., and Verkouteren, R.M. (1986) Chemical systematics of the Shergotty meteorite and the composition of its parent body (Mars), Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 50, 909–926.
Mattimore, V. and Battista, J.R. (1996) Radioresistance of Deinococcus radiodurans: Functions necessary to survive ionizing radiation are also necessary to survive prolonged desiccation. J. Bacteriol. 178, 633–637.
McKay, C.P. (1991) Urey Prize lecture: Planetary evolution and the origin of life, Icarus 91, 93–100
McKay, C. P. (1997a) The search for life on Mars, Origins Life Evol. Biosph. 27, 263–289.
McKay. C.P. (1997b) Life in comets, in: Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life, P.J. Thomas. C.F. Chyba, and C.P. McKay (eds.) Springer, New York. pp. 273–282.
McKay, C.P. (1998) Life in the Planetary Context, in: Origins, Proceedings of the International Conference C.E. Woodward, J.M. Shull, and H.A. Thronson, Jr. (eds.) held at Estes Park. Colorado, 19–23 May. 1997. Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conf. Series, Vol. 148. pp. 449-455.
McKay, C.P. and Davis. W.L. (1991) Duration of liquid water habitats on early Mars. Icarus 91, 214–221.
McKay, C.P., Clow, G.D., Andersen, D.T. and Wharton, R.A., Jr. (1994) Light transmission and reflection in perennially ice-covered Lake Hoare, Antarctica, J. Geophys. Res. 99, 20427–20444.
Minton, K.W. (1994) DNA repair in the extremely radioresistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, Mol. Microbiol. 13, 9–15.
Podolak, M. and Prialnik, D. (1997) 26A1 and liquid water environments in comets, in: Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life, P.J. Thomas, C.F. Chyba, and C.P. McKay (eds.) pp. 259–272, Springer, New York.
Reynolds, R.T., Squyres, S.W., Colbum, D.S. and McKay, C.P. (1983) On the habitability of Europa, Icarus 56, 246–254.
Rivkina E.M., Friedmann, E.I., McKay, C.P. and Gilichinsky, D.A. (2000) Bacteria in permafrost: Metabolic activity at subzero temperatures. Science, in review.
Stevens, T.O. and McKinley. J.P. (1995) Lithoautotrophic microbial ecosystems in deep basalt aquifers. Science 270, 450–454.
Swarts, S.G., Sevilla, M.D., Becker. D., Tokar, C.J., and Wheeler, K.T. (1992) Radiation-induced DNA damage as a function of hydration. Radiation Res. 129, 333–344.
Vorobyova, E., Soina. V., Gorlenko. M., Minkovskaya. N., Zalinova, N.,Mamukelashvili. A., Gilichinsky, D., Rivkina, E. and Vishnivetskaya, T. (1997) The deep cold biosphere: tacts and hypothesis, FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 20, 277–290.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
McKay, C.P. (2000). Life in the Cold and Dry Limits: Earth, Mars and Beyond . In: Seckbach, J. (eds) Journey to Diverse Microbial Worlds. Cellular Origin and Life in Extreme Habitats, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4269-4_26
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4269-4_26
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5850-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4269-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive