Tiny Tubes Reveal Clues to the Evolution of Complex Life
1 min read
Summary
In 2010, scientists discovered the Asgard archaea, a microorganism with DNA similar to that of humans and other living things whose cells contain nuclei and mitochondria.
Evolving 2 billion years ago from an Asgard ancestor, these microbes have been rarely seen under a microscope, leaving questions about their morphology and internal biology.
Now, some research into the Asgard archaea’s cytoskeleton, which helps give a cell its shape, has shown that it has a structure similar to more complex organisms, though it is smaller.
This discovery may provide insight into how an ancestral Asgard Microorganism evolved into a eukaryotic cell 2 billion years ago, as the cytoskeleton may have played an essential role in this process.
“It must be one of the main steps that elaborated when the first eukaryotes arose on Earth,” says archaeologist Iain Duggin.
