By: Yuxi Nan

Recently, a star-shaped type of moss that grows in harsh climates, has been discovered to survive in Mars-like climates. Scientists are looking forward to looking at how plants could survive and grow on the Martian surface.

The moss, called Syntrichia caninervis, is usually found in dry places including Antarctica and the Mojave Desert in the U.S.. Since it already lives in these extreme climates, researchers tested the moss under Martian conditions. Researchers in China were shocked to see that the desert moss not only survived but rapidly recovered from almost complete loss of water. Stuart McDaniel, an expert on moss at the University of Florida, said, “This paper is exciting because it shows that desert moss survives short exposures to some of the stresses that are likely to be found on a trip to Mars, including very high levels of radiation, very cold temperatures, and very low oxygen levels.”

Some scientists think that this discovery can lead to humans eventually growing plants on Mars. It is hoped that the moss can be brought to the Moon or other planets in the future to test its growth away from earth. Many have also described this study as impressive, including Edward Guninan from the Villanova University in the US. “This lowly desert moss offers hope for making small portions of Mars habitable for humankind in the future,” he has said.

This type of moss has helped people realize that life might actually be able to live on other planets, and scientists are working very hard to achieve that goal.

Image Credit by Daria Ustenko