But thanks to billions of years of evolution we may already have a starting point in the unexpectedly biological form of bacteria.

不过多亏了数亿年来的进化，我们已经站在了研究细菌全新生物形态的起点。

And there are other lifeforms called extremophiles, which can thrive in even harsher environments.

还有一种叫做“极端微生物”的生命形态，它们以在更恶劣的境中茁壮成长。

Is it possible that a similar form of microbial life could still reside somewhere beneath the frozen surface of Mars?

这微生物生命类似的形态还会生存在火星恶劣的表面之下？

And the researchers think that at least one of these big nutrient shifts might have let organisms that were living side-by-side with rangeomorphs grow bigger than ever before.

研究人员认为，这些营养物质的重大转变中至少有一个与范围形态生物并存的生物变得比以往任何时候都大。

Over time, sediments accumulate over the organism, and mineral--rich water seeping through these layers replaces the organic materials with minerals, turning bone to stone and preserving the organism's form.

随着时间的推移，沉积物在生物体上积聚，富含矿物质的水渗入这些层，用矿物质取代有机物质，将骨头变成石头，并保留了生物体的形态。