U-series dating data, Genomic data and Raman spectra data

Similar to early Mars where aridification had remained for millions of years, the western Qaidam Basin in the north of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is extremely dry and covered by a broad area of playas since the Pleistocene. From the primary fluid inclusions within halite minerals in the salt duricrust, we found β-carotene, lipids and kerogen that were very likely of biological origin. The long-term preservation of these organic compounds within halite fluid inclusions for hundreds of thousands of years in an extremely dry region gives a clue to the search for life in evaporite flats on Mars.

与干旱化持续数百万年的早期火星环境高度相似，青藏高原北部的柴达木盆地西部极端干旱，自更新世以来便被大片干盐湖滩（playas）覆盖。研究团队从盐壳（salt duricrust）内石盐（halite）矿物的原生流体包裹体（fluid inclusions）中，检出了极有可能源自生物的β-胡萝卜素（β-carotene）、脂类（lipids）与干酪根（kerogen）。这些有机化合物在极端干旱环境下的石盐流体包裹体中得以保存数十万年，该发现为火星蒸发岩滩（evaporite flats）上的生命搜寻提供了关键线索。