Scientists have revived new life forms that have been living inside giant crystals on Earth for up to 60,000 years.

And now it is believed the discovery by NASA - in a cathedral-sized cave in Mexico - could be a hint of what life is like on Mars.

The microbes have been found inside spiky crystals in the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, some of which stand at an incredible five-metres long.

Shut off from light or oxygen, around 100 different bugs have been revived, 90 per cent of which have never been discovered before.

The lifeforms have been found in a state of 'geolatency' - where living organisms remain viable in geological materials for long periods of time.

The new discovery comes after scientists were always left baffled by images of the crystals alone - believing it to be a 'Photoshop hoax'.

But the finding of the tiny bugs has now left the NASA team astounded, as it could be a hint of how life can survive on other planets.

Describing the research project, Dr Penelope Boston, the director of NASAs Astrobiology Institute and leader of the project, said: "It was a transformative experience it really felt strange.

"It was a very hard environment to work in, but tear-inducingly beautiful. Its like being inside a geode."

The cave in which the discovery was made sits above a large pocked of volcanic magma, where temperatures can reach up to 60C.

For this reason, astrobiologists have dubbed the cave as 'hell'.

Most life could not survive there but scientists have discovered some organisms have evolved to feed on the sulphides, iron, manganese or copper oxide inside.

"They're really showing us what our kind of life can do in terms of manipulating materials," said Dr Boston.

"These guys are living in an environment where there's not organic food as we understand it.

They're an example at very high temperatures of organisms making their living essentially by munching down inorganic minerals and compounds.

"This is maybe the deep history of our life here."

Dr Boston says the team had to wear 'space suits' to protect them from the heat and allow them to breathe.

"That chamber is at the 800 metre level," she added.

The deepest part we accessed (where the crystals were found) was a place called Hell, very evocatively."

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NASA discovers 'hint of alien life' inside mysterious crystals from Mexican cave which scientists thought was ... - Mirror.co.uk