16S rRNA Gene Diversity in Ancient Gray and Pink Salt from San Simón Salt Mines in Tarija, Bolivia

Abstract

DNA from 250 million-year-old pink and gray salts from mines in Tarija, Bolivia, subjected to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and analysis provided evidence for similar but distinct prokaryotic communities. The results constitute a snapshot of archaeal and bacterial microorganisms in these remote and ancient salt deposits.