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SpeleoScope |
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 Copyright © 2001 Michael N. Spilde and Penelope J. Boston |
Active Crisco (moonmilk) in Barrancas Cave. The birds nests are actually fungal ascospores, I believe, or possibly actinomycetes. The nest part is quite mineralized though it does have some organics detectable. The eggs in the center are the fungal ascospores before they go off to make new fungi or actinos. I think that these guys are pretty prominent in the Crisco although the other ones that I am even more interested in are the beads on a string and the beads on stalks. I have living versions of the ascosporous guys in culture and they are the ones associated spatially with the fabulous manganese phosphate chrysanthemum-shaped crystals. | |
 Copyright © 1999 Leslie A. Melim and Michael N. Spilde |
Scanning Electron Microscope image of fossil microbial mat revealed by light acid vapor etching of calcite pool fingers from a long dried cave pool, Hidden Cave, Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico and Texas. Ultimately, a non-aqueous version of the speleoscope on Mars might be looking for life traces like these. Note the prominent cell bodies, filaments, and "tissue paper" texture of the preserved calcified slime. | |
 Copyright © 2001 Penelope J. Boston |
Two electron microscope images of the mat, about 1.5 cm thick, (top), and closeup of the jam packed cells it contains, (bottom). The small ovoids in center right field are about 1 X 1.5 microns. The stuff that looks like spider webs draped around on the cells is dehydrated slime (extracellular polysaccharide or EPS) from the way we have to prepare samples. | |
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