Extreme Life

Researchers looking for niche environments on Earth that might be similar to such places on Mars have found one on an Arctic island in Canada. In fact, they say, Lost Hammer Spring is even more inhospitable to life than some places on Mars. And yet-- Lost Hammer is home to a thriving microbial ecosystem. The existence of such extreme life on Earth, scientists say, makes it more likely life could be found elsewhere.

Indeed, they say, the Lost Hammer microbes could survive on Mars. That's interesting, but may be beside the point. Science already knows of some Earthly life forms that could survive on Mars. Evolution takes extraordinary twists and turns and avenues once life is established. The central question, surely, is whether life ever arose on Mars. If it did arise early on, the Martian environment may have been stable enough long enough for evolution to begin. After that, the question is whether the climate on Mars changed slowly enough for that life to adapt.

The only way to determine whether life arose on Mars is to go there and look around.