奧茨冰人的古微生物展現出生命跡象
Ancient Microbes from Ötzi the Iceman Show Signs of Life
Updated at: June 8, 2026 at 07:01 AM
三十多年來，奧茨冰人一直被視為一個冷凍的時間膠囊，但 2026 年發表在《微生物組》(Microbiome) 期刊上的一項開創性研究揭露了一個驚人的事實：他其實是一個活躍且充滿動態的生態系統。
For over three decades, Ötzi the Iceman has been viewed as a frozen time capsule, but a groundbreaking 2026 study in the journal Microbiome reveals a startling truth: he is a living, dynamic ecosystem.
Eurac 研究中心的科學家發現，這具擁有 5,300 年歷史的木乃伊身上寄生著活躍且適應低溫的酵母菌，牠們甚至在攝氏零下 6 度下仍能生長。
Scientists from Eurac Research discovered that the 5,300-year-old mummy hosts active, cold-adapted yeasts capable of thriving even at -6°C.
木乃伊的微生物群由三層組成：奧茨原始銅器時代腸道細菌的殘留物、在他冰封期間進入的適應低溫酵母菌，以及自 1991 年被發現以來引入的現代污染物。
The mummy’s microbiome consists of three layers: remnants of Ötzi’s original Copper Age gut bacteria, cold-adapted yeasts that arrived during his time in the ice, and modern contaminants introduced since his discovery in 1991.
其中一些酵母菌甚至進化出分解消毒劑成分的能力，可能會威脅到木乃伊皮膚和組織的完整性。
Some of these yeasts have even evolved to break down substances used for disinfection, potentially threatening the integrity of the mummy’s skin and tissue.
這項研究改變了我們對考古遺骸的理解。
This research transforms our understanding of archaeological remains.
我們不再能將木乃伊視為靜止的物體。
We can no longer treat mummies as static objects.
相反地，必須將牠們視為一個活躍的生物環境來管理。
Instead, they must be managed as active biological environments.
透過研究這些古老的微生物，研究人員可以獲得有關人類腸道演化以及在瞬息萬變的世界中保存歷史所面臨的複雜挑戰等寶貴見解。
By studying these ancient microbes, researchers gain invaluable insights into both the evolution of the human gut and the complex challenges of preserving history in an ever-changing world.
