Researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have discovered tubular structures in desert marble across Africa and the Middle East, believed to be created by microorganisms. First found in Namibia, these micro-burrows are up to one inch long and half a millimeter wide, composed of calcium carbonate powder. The discovery raises questions about whether the life forms responsible for creating them are extinct or still exist. With no remaining DNA or proteins, scientists are left puzzled about the identities of these ancient microorganisms, making the find both baffling and exciting.
In a new paper published in the Geomicrobiology Journal, researchers describe the bizarre tubular tunnels found in desert marble, believed to be made by microorganisms.
We were surprised because these tubes are clearly not the result of a geological process,
Given that these mysterious structures are estimated to be about one or two million years old, it's possible that whichever microorganisms made them are not alive today.
Without more biological evidence, scientists won't be able to say definitively what type of critter carved them out - though to Passchier, that's what makes the discovery so exciting.
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