The Mini Museum Library - Articles, Essays, Specimen Deep Dives, and Current Research

The 830,000,000 Year Old Salt Zombie

May 25, 2022

Above: An image from the study showing the suspected microorganism in halite.

Geologists have uncovered an incredible and tiny piece of history: 830,000,000 year old life. Remains of prokaryotic life have been discovered within a halite salt crystal, but what is most incredible is that the organisms may still be living today.

As salt forms in the ocean, the crystallization process can trap small amounts of water inside and seal it away. These inclusions of seawater are effectively untouchable after they're formed, meaning they hold amazingly accurate data about the time and place they came from. Occasionally, microorganisms are found within these sealed fluid chambers, with some living ones found in material over 250 million years old. Scientists haven't confirmed whether these new ones are also living, but it is within the realm of possibility.

Another interesting implication of this discovery goes beyond our planet. Deposits on Mars have been found with similar compositions of material to formations of these salt crystals. As research on halite organisms continues on Earth, we may be able to find evidence of life on other planets on the microscopic scale.

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Beatles Brick Fragment - The Cavern Club

Before The Beatles played for millions of viewers on The Ed Sullivan Show, the Lads from Liverpool put in thousands of hours in clubs and lounges across the UK, Germany, Sweden, and France. Yet few venues can be so closely associated with the earliest days of the Beatles as the original Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. ($26.10 USD)

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Cool Things!

The Mysterious Origin of the St. Mark's Square Lion!

Keeping a watchful eye over what Napoleon knew as “the drawing room of Europe,” the winged lion of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy, is a majestic sight. The origin of this iconic statue has been cloaked in mystery, but in September of 2024, a group of chemists, archaeologists, geologists, and art historians shed more light on this sculpture’s story.