Scientists Awaken Deep Sea Bacteria After 100 Million Years

Amazing stuff!

"Microbes extracted from deep sea sediments that settled during the age of the dinosaurs have been revived in the lab after eons spent in a dormant state. Despite needing oxygen to survive, the bacteria were able to make do with only trace amounts and almost no food for more than 100 million years. Once reanimated, most of the microbes were able to feed and multiply with seemingly no ill effects attributed to their long period of rest. ...
A genetic analysis showed that the microbes were fairly diverse, representing 10 major groups of bacteria, some of which are widespread throughout other parts of the ocean. ..."

"... Our results suggest that microbial communities widely distributed in organic-poor abyssal sediment consist mainly of aerobes that retain their metabolic potential under extremely low-energy conditions for up to 101.5 Ma. ...
Marine sediment covers ~70% of Earth’s surface. It harbors a remarkable microbial population that comprises 12–45% of total microbial biomass or ~0.6–2% of total living biomass on Earth"

Scientists Awaken Deep Sea Bacteria After 100 Million Years | The Scientist Magazine® The microbes had survived on trace amounts of oxygen and were able to feed and multiply once revived in the lab.

These ancient seafloor microbes woke up after over 100 million years Scientists revived long-dormant organisms with carbon and nitrogen in the lab

Here is the referenced journal article:

Aerobic microbial life persists in oxic marine sediment as old as 101.5 million years (open access)