Oxygenless alien dix exist

[Tollbooth Willie]

http://gizmodo.com/5511882/animals-...ered-aliens-basically-guaranteed-to-exist-now

Scientists have just discovered the first multicellular animals that can survive entirely without oxygen. They live in the L'Atalante Basin in the Mediterranean Ocean, a place with salt brine so thick it doesn't mix with oxygen-containing waters above.

This is pretty crazy stuff. Previously, it was thought that only single-celled life could exist in such inhospitable places, but this proves otherwise.

The animals took up radioactively tagged leucine (an amino acid), and a fluorescent probe that labels living cells, evidence that they were alive when they were collected. The researchers also found examples of individuals that contained eggs and evidence of apparent molting, which led them to conclude that the animals spend their whole lives in the harsh sediments. The creature's cells apparently lack mitochondria, the organelles that use oxygen to power a cell. Instead they are rich in what seem to be hydrogenosomes, organelles that can do a similar job in anaerobic (or oxygen free) environments.

This is interesting not only for the study of our oceans, but for life off our planet as well. After all, if life can exist where there's no oxygen, what's to say life can't exist in some of the harsher atmospheres that exist on other planets and moons? And at this point, why the hell haven't they contacted us yet? Are we not ready? Just tell us what to do, space friends! Come on!

 

[Raziaar]

I wonder if at any point in its early evolution did it require oxygen. That's a valuable piece of information right there... if it once required oxygen but no longer doesn't.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

I want to see some shit that doesn't require water. That'll be interesting.

 

[Warped]

maybe we came here without O2 and found that O2 is more fun

 

[VirusType2]

I want to see some shit that doesn't require water. That'll be interesting.

Pretty much what I would say

 

[Kaptain H]

I love the headline.

 

[Warped]

Homo Novus

Humans who don't need oxygen

now that would be cool

 

[the cow says moo]

Endosymbiosis is one of the more interesting topics in biology imo. I wonder if these creatures evolved from cells that never combined with mitochondria, or if they once had the symbiosis, but lost it, kinda like certain species of fish have lost their eyes in deep oceans.

 

[Emporius]

Homo Novus

Space gays.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Yet another creature that lays eggs...

Couldn't nature have thought up some more interesting ways to reproduce? Always with the eggs.

 

[Mr Stabby]

Large organism can't get sufficeint energy from anerobic respiration. These organisms are tiny and have small energy requirements. Humans are capable of anerobic respiration but could never get the energy they need from it.

 

[Dynasty]

Was reading that about 15 minutes ago and contemplated posting it.

Too late.

 

[Warped]

This newfound creature, a loriciferan identified as an undescribed species of the genus Spinoloricus. The creature has specialized organelles so that it can survive without oxygen. Scale bar is 50 microns. Credit: Roberto Danovaro et al., BMC Biology.

also 50 microns = 0.00196850394 inches

yeah this guy is smaller than you can see i bet

 

[the cow says moo]

You put description in your image.

 

[Wanted Bob]

maybe we came here without O2 and found that O2 is more fun

Technically thats what early life on Earth did. All of the first organisms on Earth relied on anaerobic respiration, but they eventually produced so much O2 as a byproduct that they killed most of themselves off. Then aerobic respirating organisms arose.

 

[kazsymonds]

Technically thats what early life on Earth did. All of the first organisms on Earth relied on anaerobic respiration, but they eventually produced so much O2 as a byproduct that they killed most of themselves off. Then aerobic respirating organisms arose.

You mean we were created by god 10,000 years ago right? RIGHT?

 

[StarBob]

Oxygen's corrosive abilities also helped spawn mutations and thus evolution... just like radiation. Fun stuff. Evolution is fancy.