Music • Photography • Writing
National Parks Of The American Rockies
Yellowstone
Bacterial
Art
Page
1
Page
2
Page
3
Recent research into the bacterial mats of Yellowstone have indicated some things you may have trouble believing: there may be as much biomass (living stuff) beneath the surface of the earth as there is above the surface, and there may be as many different species of bacteria as there are of every other kind of living thing combined.
One type, the archebacteria ("old"), has genetic material with basic sequences that all other living things have in common. Another species discovered in Yellowstone led to the development of DNA replication that has helped solve crimes and that proved indispensable in the technique used to map the human genome.
Many lesser forms of life (if you can imagine such a thing) might have considered those accomplishments enough to kick back and relax awhile. But bacteria are anything but lazy. After all, they (actually their close relatives the cyanobacteria) changed the entire atmosphere of the earth from poisonous methane gas to the breathable oxygen-rich atmosphere we all depend upon today. Indeed, these hardy beings are the most likely candidates for long-term space travel and may have brought life itself to earth. So it shouldn't be a huge surprise to find that they have (or are) an artistic streak as well.
I certainly wouldn't claim that bacteria make any sort of conscious choice in creating their beautiful displays. Most of the patterns you see on this page are the result of many different species growing in water of different temperatures, acidity, and other conditions. But I find the intricate designs both fascinating and aesthetically appealling.
This, for instance, looks like an aerial shot of a cloud- shrouded South Pacific atoll, ringed by coral reefs. It's actually a small rocky island in a steaming hot pool of acidic water just a few inches deep.