These wrinkles provide evidence that microbial mats grew in the absence of sunlight, feeding off chemicals from decaying organic material on the seafloor.
Dr. Martindale said the communities likely thrived in darkness, using chemical energy (for example, sulfur compounds like hydrogen sulfide) rather than sunlight.

This discovery flips old ideas about where ancient life could exist and suggests we might find similar signs deep under Earth's oceans — or even on other planets with dark environments.
So, searching for life isn't just about looking where there's light anymore!