[Wonder Warthog]

What silliness. Any organisms would have evolved for the specific environment of high salinity. The fact that “some” terrestrial organisms CAN live in these conditions (and given the teeming life around deep-sea “black smokers” where both the salinity and temperature are MUCH higher than regular sea-water, I don’t see any “salinity barrier” to life.

[AndrewC]

What silliness. Any organisms would have evolved for the specific environment of high salinity.

So where are these evolved Martian organisms? Oh, I know, the same place the lunar organisms are, the ones that evolved for living sans atmosphere. We know that terrestrial bacteria survived on some of our space vehicles.

[metmom]

The scientists say that the handful of terrestrial halophiles -- species that can tolerate high salinity -- descended from ancestors that first evolved in purer waters. Based on what we know about Earth, they say that it's difficult to imagine life arising in acidic, oxidizing brines like those inferred for ancient Mars.

You may not see any salinity barrier to life, but it doesn't seem that your peers agree with you.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

What are the extremely halophilic organisms?

What organisms can survive water activity below .75?

Or below .50?

Just curious.