The NASA rover Opportunity identified ancient sedimentary rocks on Mars that formed in the presence of very salty water. Which group of Bacteria or Archaea includes strains MOST likely to give physiological clues to how life might survive under such extreme environmental conditions?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Haloarchaea are known to thrive in environments with very high salt concentrations, such as salt flats and salt lakes, and are therefore the most likely group of microorganisms to give physiological clues to how life might survive in very salty water on Mars. Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Methanogenic Archaea have not been extensively studied in these types of extreme environments.

The NASA Rover Opportunity Identified Ancient Sedimentary Rocks on Mars