2023-10-25 20:30:02
JVTech News “It’s a big surprise! »: this macabre discovery proves that certain mammals might live on Mars
Published on 10/25/2023 at 10:30 p.m.
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Originally, we thought that these mammals had been transported by humans, but the reality is actually quite different…
A little mouse changed everything
The peaks of volcanoes located on the border between Chile and Argentina, in the Puna de Atacama region, have long been considered the most Mars-like places on our planet. At altitudes exceeding 6,000 meters, these inhospitable sites are characterized by extremely cold temperatures, a thin atmosphere, a halving of oxygen levels, and strong winds that sweep across rocks. In the 1970s and 1980s, expeditions discovered mouse corpses on these peaks, which raised many questions.. At the time, archaeologists hypothesized that these rodents had reached these heights by hiding in wood and other supplies carried by the Incas.
The idea that mammals might survive in such conditions seemed incredible, but in 2020 a major scientific breakthrough challenged this assumption. Jay F. Storz, professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, managed to capture a living specimen at the summit of the Llullaillaco volcano, perched at an incredible altitude of 6,700 meters. Finding a mammal at this altitude was a first!
Mice that hide many mysteries
In an article published in the journal Current Biology, Jay F. Storz and his team revealed the presence of 13 mummified (= inert) mice atop three neighboring volcanoes (Salín, Púlar and Copiacó), each rising nearly 6.4 km above sea level. the sea. And what’s even more fascinating is that researchers believe that these mice (Phyllotis vaccarum) climbed these hostile peaks on their own, without help from the Incas, because none of them are ancient. sufficient to have coexisted with this ancient civilization.
Photo credit: Jay F. Storz
What is most surprising regarding our discovery is that mammals might survive on the tops of volcanoes in such a harsh environment, similar to Mars. Experienced mountaineers can tolerate such altitudes on one-day climbs, but the fact that mice live at such altitudes shows that we have underestimated the physiological capabilities of these small mammals.
These unexpected discoveries have raised many crucial questions, including how these mammals can survive in such an inhospitable environment of rock, ice and snow. It remains to be understood why these mice undertook these dizzying climbs. Researchers are now trying to determine whether mice from high altitudes have particular physiological characteristics. that allow them to survive and thrive in conditions where oxygen is low.
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