Scientists Discover Ancient Life Forms in the Deep Ocean
科學家在深海發現遠古生命形式
更新於: 2026年6月27日 上午12:15
For centuries, humanity viewed the deep ocean as a barren, lifeless void.
數個世紀以來，人類視深海為荒蕪、無生命的空洞。
However, recent scientific breakthroughs are rewriting this narrative, revealing the abyss as an ancient, thriving cradle of life.
然而，近期的科學突破正在改寫這一敘事，揭示深淵其實是一個古老且繁榮的生命搖籃。
Rowan Martindale and Stéphane Bodin made a stunning discovery in Morocco’s Dadès Valley: mysterious 'wrinkle structures' in 180-million-year-old deep-sea sediment.
這些通常出現在陽光充足淺水區的圖案，顯示了古老化能合成微生物的存在；這些微生物透過利用化學能，在全黑的環境中蓬勃發展。
These patterns, usually found in sunlit shallows, indicate the presence of ancient, chemosynthetic microbes that thrived in total darkness by harnessing chemical energy.
這一發現挑戰了舊有的「無生命區假說」（Azoic hypothesis），該假說曾斷言深海不可能存在生命。
This discovery challenges the old 'Azoic hypothesis,' which once claimed deep-sea life was impossible.
透過研究深海沉積物——它們如同天然的時間機器——科學家們得以重構數百萬年前的生態系統。
By studying deep-sea sediments—which act as a natural time machine—scientists are reconstructing ecosystems that existed millions of years ago.
這些發現表明，深海曾作為關鍵的演化避難所，保護早期生命免受淺水區不穩定的氣候波動影響。
Instead, the abyss offers a hidden, complex history of survival, reminding us that life on Earth has always been far more resilient and adaptable than we ever dared to imagine.
