奇异微生物揭示复杂生命起源的线索

Strange cells may explain the origin of complex life The tiny pantheon known as the Asgard archaea bear traits that hint at how plants, animals and fungi emerged on Earth By Michael Marshall Illustrations By Marina Muun Ten years ago, a new group called the Asgard archaea was identified in sediments from the North Atlantic Ocean. They are nothing like us: They live mostly in places with little or no oxygen, and they are almost unbelievably ancient, with a lineage tracing back perhaps 3 billion years. Yet their DNA shows that the Asgard archaea sit startlingly close to humans on the tree of life. …