In a scientific breakthrough with cosmic implications, researchers have, for the first time, precisely dated the emergence of microbial life within a meteorite impact crater—revealing that life not only survives catastrophe, but thrives in its aftermath.

A team from Linnaeus University in Sweden has uncovered compelling evidence that microbial life colonized the 78-million-year-old Lappajärvi impact structure in western Finland after the meteorite struck, establishing itself in the hydrothermal system born from the collision.

“This is the first time we can directly link microbial activity to a meteorite impact using geochronological methods. It shows that such craters can serve as habitats for life long in the aftermath of the impact,” says Henrik Drake, a professor at Linnaeus University, Sweden, and senior author of the study.

Using cutting-edge isotopic biosignature analysis and radioisotopic dating, the team traced microbial sulfate reduction—a process that requires life—to mineral formations in fractures and cavities. These signatures emerged at temperatures around 47°C, ideal for microbial ecosystems.

“What is most exciting is that we do not only see signs of life, but we can pinpoint exactly when it happened. This gives us a timeline for how life finds a way after a catastrophic event” says Jacob Gustafsson, PhD student at Linnaeus University and first author of the study.

Later mineral formations, more than 10 million years after the impact, show evidence of both methane consumption and production – providing further proof of long-lasting microbial activity.

Co-author Dr. Gordon Osinski, Western University, Canada, says “This is incredibly exciting research as it connects the dots for the first time. Previously, we’ve found evidence that microbes colonized impact craters, but there has always been questions about when this occurred and if it was due to the impact event, or some other process millions of years later. Until now.”

This discovery strengthens the theory that meteorite impacts can create long-lived habitable environments—not just on Earth, but potentially on Mars, Europa, and other planetary bodies where similar impact structures exist.

The study opens a new frontier in astrobiology, offering a rare glimpse into how life rebounds after planetary-scale devastation—and how craters may serve as cradles for microbial ecosystems across the cosmos.


More information
Link to the full article in Nature Communications.
Photos of Henrik Drake and Jakob Gustafsson (cred: Linnaeus University) and illustrations made by Henrik Drake can be found here.