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Endolithic microorganisms thrive in extreme environments such as hot and cold deserts, showcasing unique survival strategies that are crucial for understanding life in harsh conditions. This study quantitatively compares the biomass and metabolic responses of endolithic microbial communities in both environments, revealing that while they share common survival mechanisms, their composition differs significantly, with prokaryotes dominating in hot deserts and eukaryotes in cold deserts.
Abstract
Endolithic microorganisms (those living inside rocks) occur in hot and cold deserts and exist under extreme environmental conditions. These conditions are discussed on a comparative basis. Quantitative estimates of biomass are comparable in hot and cold deserts. Despite the obvious differences between the hot and cold desert environment, survival strategies show some common features. These endolithic organisms are able to ‘switch’ rapidly their metabolic activities on an off in response to changes in the environment. Conditions in hot deserts impose a more severe environmental stress on the organisms than in the cold Antarctic desert. This is reflected in the composition of the microbial flora which in hot desert rocks consist entirely of prokaryotic microorganisms, while under cold desert conditions eukaryotes predominate.
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Proceedings of the Fourth College Park Colloquium on Chemical Evolution:Limits of Life, University of Maryland, College Park, 18–20 October 1978.
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Friedmann, E.I. Endolithic microbial life in hot and cold deserts. Origins Life Evol Biosphere 10, 223–235 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00928400
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00928400
