The tree of life has a new branch

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Woodchopper
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The tree of life has a new branch

Post by Woodchopper » Thu Feb 27, 2020 2:11 pm

The tree of life just got another major branch. Researchers recently found a certain rare and mysterious microbe called a hemimastigote in a clump of Nova Scotian soil. Their subsequent analysis of its DNA revealed that it was neither animal, plant, fungus nor any recognized type of protozoan — that it in fact fell far outside any of the known large categories for classifying complex forms of life (eukaryotes). Instead, this flagella-waving oddball stands as the first member of its own “supra-kingdom” group, which probably peeled away from the other big branches of life at least a billion years ago.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-a-n ... -20181211/

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Grumble
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Re: The tree of life has a new branch

Post by Grumble » Thu Feb 27, 2020 2:14 pm

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71349F06-F403-4E86-B48C-AA3AA68B57EE.jpeg (68.37 KiB) Viewed 2108 times
where once I used to scintillate
now I sin till ten past three

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jimbob
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Re: The tree of life has a new branch

Post by jimbob » Fri Feb 28, 2020 7:27 pm

cool thanks.
Have you considered stupidity as an explanation

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Martin Y
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Re: The tree of life has a new branch

Post by Martin Y » Sat Feb 29, 2020 9:30 am

Well, if they've had a billion years and haven't risen up and murdered us all in our beds I am provisionally happy to extend the flagellum of friendship to these fellows.

Things move kinda slow in NS though so maybe give it another billion to be entirely sure.

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Martin_B
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Re: The tree of life has a new branch

Post by Martin_B » Sat Feb 29, 2020 10:29 am

Martin Y wrote:
Sat Feb 29, 2020 9:30 am
Well, if they've had a billion years and haven't risen up and murdered us all in our beds I am provisionally happy to extend the flagellum of friendship to these fellows.

Things move kinda slow in NS though so maybe give it another billion to be entirely sure.
Wait until they demand the vote - they may outnumber us
"My interest is in the future, because I'm going to spend the rest of my life there"

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