Hiroyuki Imachi/SUGAR/X-star/JAMSTEC
All complex life may be descended from one group of single-celled organisms, whose modern descendants live in mud. These microbes have unusual abilities that would have enabled them to form more intricate cells – and ultimately animals and plants.
The microorganisms are called Asgard archaea, after the mythological home of the Norse gods. For the first time, scientists have isolated one and grown it in the laboratory. New Scientist first reported the achievement in August 2019, and the results have now been published.
The first Asgard archaea …
source: newscientist.com