Scientists think the organisms trapped in the salt crystal may still be alive. The scientists used non-invasive optical methods to study samples of microorganisms contained within the crystal.

How to detect microorganisms

Often microscopic minerals fall into the hands of scientists in the form of compacted stones such as shale. Salt cannot preserve organic material in the same form. Instead, when a salt crystal forms in brine, a small amount of liquid enters. This makes halitas invaluable sources of information about the temperature and composition of water and even the atmosphere during mineral formation.

One of the samples from the Brown phytocenose (a well-documented stratigraphic unit of the Neoproterozoic) in 1997 was studied by a team of scientists led by Sarah Schroeder-Gomez of West Virginia University.

Inside, scientists found organic matter in solid and liquid form, corresponding to prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Some of the samples showed signs of decay, while others showed the same level of fluorescence as modern organisms, indicating no damage.

Microorganisms in brown halite fluid inclusions / Photo Schroeder-Gomez, Geology, 2022

Like this, maybe some organisms are still alive, researchers note. The liquid that enters the crystal can become a suitable habitat for microscopic colonies. After all, in the past, scientists were able to detect living prokaryotic organisms from the 250-million-year-old Galites.

The discovery of geologists is important in the search for traces of life on Earth and other planets, where large deposits of rock salt have been found, indicating the existence of reservoirs of liquid water in the past.