In the remote, high-altitude Puga Valley of Ladakh, scientists from India have made a groundbreaking discovery that may help unravel the mystery of how life began on Earth—and perhaps even Mars. A natural hot spring in this geothermal zone is offering a real-world model for early Earth environments and could be pivotal in future astrobiological missions.
A recent study by researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), under its newly formed Earth and Planetary Exploration Group (EPEG), has found that travertine deposits (calcium carbonate) in the Puga hot springs preserve organic molecules linked to the prebiotic origin of life.
Puga Hot Springs Origin of Life: New Role of Carbonates Discovered
While most global studies have focused on silica-based origin theories, the BSIP team explored the largely unexplored role of carbonates, particularly calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), in early life chemistry.
The researchers—Dr. Amritpal Singh Chaddha, Dr. Sunil Kumar Shukla, Dr. Anupam Sharma, Prof. M.G. Thakkar, and Dr. Kamlesh Kumar—observed rapid carbonate precipitation in the Puga environment. They proposed that this extreme, high-UV, mineral-rich setting could act as a natural prebiotic reactor, where organic molecules are both formed and preserved.
Using advanced techniques such as GC-MS-MS, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, infrared spectroscopy, and stable isotope geochemistry, the team identified preserved amino acid derivatives, formamide, sulphur compounds, and fatty acids encapsulated within the carbonate layers.
Real-World Implications for Mars and Future ISRO Missions
Lead researcher Dr. Chaddha explains,
“Our findings suggest that natural travertine from the Puga Hot Spring can trap and preserve prebiotic molecules, making calcium carbonate a credible natural template for early origin-of-life chemistry.”
The study, published in ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, proposes a plausible mechanism for how these organic compounds were concentrated and stabilized in early Earth conditions, despite high UV exposure—providing insight into the emergence of life.
The discovery has significant astrobiological implications. It could support ISRO’s future Mars missions, where identifying true biosignatures will be crucial. It also expands the scientific community’s understanding of how natural biomolecule preservation mechanisms work—knowledge that could fuel advancements in life detection, synthetic biology, and new material science.
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