460 Annals New York Academy of Sciences 



with Bacillus circulans. A final proof of my findings is now in preparation. 

 Because it is now possible to find the bacteria in thin sections of the salts, I 

 want to isolate each bacterium individually with a micromanipulator and let 

 it grow in a microculture. During this process it will be kept under constant 

 observation until it shows the germination of spores, or until it starts the first 

 cell division after being dormant for more than 650 million years. I hope soon 

 to be able to show this exciting moment in a motion picture film. 



Other institutes are now doing research on the coenzymes and proteins of 

 these Paleozoic bacteria. 



Summary 



For the first time it became possible to isolate and cultivate bacteria from 

 Permian deposits. The methods of isolation are described in detail and the 

 arguments, which lead to the assumption that the discovered microbes are 

 living representatives of the oldest known individual ages, are sunmiarized. 

 (1) Only such salt deposits were investigated, which showed indications of being 

 of primary genesis. (2) From these salt specimens pollen grains were isolated, 

 which served as characteristic fossils for establishing the age of the deposit. 

 (3) None of the geological prerequisites, such as tectonics, orogenesis, and geo- 

 thermic gradients, proved to be contrary to the findings. (4) The method of 

 isolation, as well as the precautionary measures and the controlling experiments, 

 are discussed in detail. (5) The results of dehydration at low temperatures 

 and the reversible method of denaturation by salification are pointed out. (6) 

 The embedded bacteria are shown optically in thin sections of the examined 

 salts. 



Studies on other salt deposits were made, and living bacteria were isolated 

 from salt deposits from the Middle-Devonian, the Silurian, and the Precam- 

 brian. A comparison of the biological characteristics of the Paleozoic germs 

 with Recent bacteria was carried out. 



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