Researchers found a strange form of life called Euglenids in fossils. These unicellular eukaryotes gain energy from absorbing sunlight and consuming other animals. Experts have misidentified these fossils as worm eggs, algal cysts, or fern spores. However, they believe these samples could reveal more details about the origin of life.
It may help them find older samples that “go back to the very root of the eukaryotic tree of life.” According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), roughly 1.65 million eukaryotic species worldwide, including humans. Consequently, discovering Euglenids could provide insights into how our bodies work, which may lead to numerous applications.
This article will elaborate on the unique characteristics of Euglenids and their significance. Later, I will discuss another ancient entity found in permafrost.
What do we know about the strange lifeform?
Eukaryotes are organisms with defined nuclei, the core containing genetic material and cellular process instructions. That includes humans, animals, and Euglenids, but the latter can gain energy from sunlight and predation.
They are aquatic organisms that developed differently from other eukaryotes roughly a billion years ago. However, there are only a few relevant fossil records.
International scientists argue that they have found ancient Euglenid fossils in “an extensive paper trail” of already published scientific papers. As mentioned, researchers mistook them for algal cysts, fern spores, and worm eggs because of their tiny circular ‘ribs’ inside.
In 1962, scientists called them Psudoschizaea shells because they didn’t suit taxonomical categories. “Their biological affinity has never been cleared,” Heidelberg University research associate Andreas Koutsodendris said.
“In fact, the cysts are commonly figured in publications by colleagues, but no one was able to really put a finger on it,” he added. In 2012, made an astounding discovery.
Paleontologists Paul Strother and Bas van de Schootbrugge realized microfossils from 200 million years ago could be Euglenids. They recognized their protective cysts, which look like a three-dimensional thumbprint.
“Some of the microfossils we encountered showed a canny similarity to cysts of Euglena, a modern representative that had been described by Slovakian colleagues,” stated Strother.
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“The problem was, there was only one publication in the world making this claim,” he added. That is why he and other paleontologists from the US and the UK combed through 500 literature sources on Pseudoschizaea-like fossils.
Researchers struggled to obtain living Euglenids to encyst in the laboratory. Fortunately, a YouTube video from microscopy enthusiast Fabian Weston from Australia was a perfect comparison.
Cyst exteriors have enabled Euglenids to survive extreme conditions, so experts may find more samples. Soon, they might find ones that “go back to the very root of the eukaryotic tree of life.”
Another recently discovered strange lifeform
Virologist Jean-Michel Claverie and his team found zombie viruses under Russia’s Kolyma River’s icy, muddy banks. These are pathogens from thousands of years ago preserved in permafrost.
NASA defines permafrost as “any ground that remains completely frozen—32°F (0°C) or colder—for at least two years straight.” Birgitta Evengård, professor emerita at Umea University’s Department of Clinical Microbiology in Sweden, said we must monitor these strange lifeforms due to their potential threat.
“You must remember our immune defense has been developed in close contact with our microbiological surroundings,” she said. Virus expert Jean-Michel Claverie has been studying these “giant” viruses for more than ten years. He and his team confirmed ancient pathogens from the Siberian permafrost remain infectious.
With climate change, we are used to thinking of dangers coming from the south,” Claverie said, referring to diseases spreading from tropical regions.
“Now, we realize there might be some danger coming from the north as the permafrost thaws and frees microbes, bacteria, and viruses,” he added. Some might think zombie virus warnings are fear-mongering, but similar threats have emerged.
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In 2016, a heat wave in Siberia activated anthrax sores. Consequently, they infected dozens and killed thousands of reindeer and a child. Claverie has found seven families of zombie viruses, ranging from 27,000 to 48,500 years old.
According to Australia’s 9 News report, “We view these amoeba-infecting viruses as surrogates for all other possible viruses that might be in the permafrost.”
“If the amoeba viruses are still alive, there is no reason why the other viruses will not be still alive and capable of infecting their own hosts,” he added.
Conclusion
Researchers found Euglenids, organisms that gain energy from photosynthesis and predation, in fossils. They struggled to find them because they produced an outer layer that resembled other common microbes.
However, that cyst layer allowed them to survive many major extinction events. As a result, they can help scientists learn more about the origin of life.
Learn more about these strange lifeforms on ScienceDirect. Moreover, check the latest digital tips and trends at Inquirer Tech.