The Wikipedia entry for Pitch Lake states that it is the largest natural deposit of bitumen (…asphalt) in the world and is located at La Brea in southwest Trinidad. At first glance, it doesn’t look like a place to call home! Well, not if you are really big (ie a human or even a cockroach for that matter).
Scientists interested in looking for life elsewhere in the Solar System however decided to have a close look to see if there was anything living in the bitumen. After all, if they did find something alive, then the implications are that life could survive elsewhere in the Solar System.
They have found bacteria which can survive in an oxygen free environment, with virtually no water and they eat hydrocarbons and respire with metal. Yum! And before you ask, they aren’t from outer space. They share a common DNA with other life forms.
The paper announcing the discovery can be found here. A more easily accessible article can be found here.
