In the vast and arid landscapes of Namibia, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, a team of researchers has identified a series of peculiar structures in marble and limestone formations, whose origin does not seem to correspond to known geological processes. This discovery, recently published in the specialized journal Geomicrobiology Journal, suggests that we may be facing traces of ancient biological activity, possibly from a previously undocumented life form.
Professor Cees Passchier, a geologist at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), was the first to detect these structures while conducting fieldwork in Namibia. These are tiny tubes approximately half a millimeter wide and up to three centimeters long, arranged in parallel and extending along the rocks in bands of up to ten meters. Their orderly arrangement and the presence of biological material inside suggest that they are not natural fractures or the result of erosion, but rather a phenomenon of organic origin.
We were greatly surprised because these microtunnels cannot be explained by usual geological processes, Passchier explains. When analyzing samples of the affected rocks, we found remnants of biological material. However, we still cannot determine whether this organism still exists or if it belongs to an extinct species.
Traces of a Possible Life Form
The discovery in Namibia was not an isolated event. Subsequent investigations in Oman and Saudi Arabia revealed similar structures in different types of rock: limestone in the case of Oman and marble in Saudi Arabia. This pattern of distribution indicates that the formation of these tubes was not a localized event but a broader phenomenon, potentially linked to a time when the climate was more humid than it is today.
Researchers have suggested that these microtunnels may have been drilled by microorganisms that used the calcium carbonate present in the rocks as a source of nutrients. A fine dust residue composed of calcium carbonate has been detected, reinforcing the hypothesis that these organisms extracted essential compounds for their metabolism.
We know that some bacteria and fungi can survive in extremely hostile environments and use minerals as an energy source, the research team notes. The problem is that, although we have found traces of biomaterial in the rock samples, we have not been able to extract DNA or proteins that would allow us to identify these organisms with certainty.
The discovery has sparked great interest in the scientific community, especially among specialists in endolithic microorganisms, those that live inside rocks. In various deserts around the world, the existence of these life forms has been documented, capable of withstanding extreme conditions thanks to their ability to extract nutrients from minerals. However, the case of the tunnels in Namibia, Oman, and Saudi Arabia raises new questions: Were they generated by a completely unknown species? Could it be an organism that still exists in some hidden region of the planet?
The importance of this research goes beyond mere geological curiosity. If these microorganisms significantly contributed to the dissolution of calcium carbonate in the past, they may have played a role in the global carbon cycle, affecting CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere. These types of interactions between the biosphere and the geosphere could have implications not yet understood in Earth’s carbon balance, Passchier emphasizes.
With their study, the authors hope to attract the attention of experts in microbiology and geosciences to expand the research and delve into the origin and possible function of these microorganisms in Earth’s history.
Meanwhile, the mystery remains. What kind of life could have left its mark on the marble and limestone of these deserts? Do they still exist in some remote corner of the planet, waiting to be discovered? The answers could change our understanding of the limits of life on Earth—and potentially on other planets with similar extreme conditions.
SOURCES
Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
Passchier, C. W., Wassenaar, T. M., Groschopf, N., Jantschke, A., & Mertz-Kraus, R. (2025). Subfossil Fracture-Related Euendolithic Micro-burrows in Marble and Limestone. Geomicrobiology Journal, 1–16. doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2025.2467417
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