Missing link of cellular life found

[n2doc]

Deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean between Greenland and Norway, scientists have found microorganisms they call a missing link connecting the simple cells that first populated Earth to the complex cellular life that emerged 2 billion years ago.

The researchers said on Wednesday a group of microorganisms called Lokiarchaeota, or Loki for short, were retrieved from the inhospitable, frigid seabed about 2.35 km under the ocean surface. The discovery provides insight into how larger, complex cell types that are the building blocks for fungi, plants and animals including people, a group called eukaryotes, evolved from small, simple microbes, they said.

The Lokiarchaeota have relatively simple cells lacking internal structures such as a nucleus. But the researchers found the Lokiarchaeota share with eukaryotes a significant number of genes. These genes would have provided Lokiarchaeota "with a 'starter-kit' to support the development of cellular complexity," said evolutionary microbiologist Lionel Guy of Sweden's Uppsala University.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Missing-link-of-cellular-life-found/articleshow/47194616.cms

More info

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/05/06/newly-discovered-missing-link-called-loki-ties-us-to-our-single-celled-ancestors/

[AuntPatsy]

1. Very interesting

[yallerdawg]

2. Evolution and the scientific method.

Putting the puzzle together link by link further solidifies the certainty of the so-called Theory of Evolution. Following the scientific method, every time they hypothesize the necessity of another step in the evolutionary process, they keep finding the evidence.

To deny evolution is to deny fact and science.

[yallerdawg]

3. Just today in our news...

Legislation that would allow Alabama educators to teach alternatives to mainstream scientific theories like evolution, the origins of life, global warming and human cloning was introduced late last month in the House of Representatives.

The bill is similar to controversial legislation, nicknamed the 'monkey bill,' that passed in Tennessee in 2012; Louisiana also has a comparable law. Critics of those laws said it would open the door for science teachers to teach creationism, which is unconstitutional.

"This is a thinly-veiled attempt to open the door to religious fanatics who don't believe in evolution, climate change or other scientifically-based teaching in our schools," said Susan Watson, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama. "It also opens Alabama to costly litigation that it just cannot afford."

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/anti-evolution_legislation_int.html#incart_most-commented_news

[AlbertCat]

6. Why are religious people so worried about their kids being taught science?

I mean.... THEY were taught science when they went to school and it didn't stick with them and they learned nothing. Why do they think their brats are gonna actually learn any of it?

[BrotherIvan]

4. I wonder if Loki tastes good?

Mmmm, Loki...

[Wounded Bear]

5. I like that they named after the Norse God of Mischief. nt