Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

Scientists Discover Organism that hasn't Evolved in More Than 2 Billion Years

posted by martyb on Tuesday February 03 2015, @04:55PM   Printer-friendly
from the same-old-same-old dept.

AnonTechie writes:

An international team of scientists has discovered the greatest absence of evolution ever reported—a type of deep-sea microorganism that appears not to have evolved over more than 2 billion years. But the researchers say that the organisms' lack of evolution actually supports Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The findings are published online today by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The scientists examined sulfur bacteria, microorganisms that are too small to see with the unaided eye, that are 1.8 billion years old and were preserved in rocks from Western Australia's coastal waters. Using cutting-edge technology, they found that the bacteria look the same as bacteria of the same region from 2.3 billion years ago—and that both sets of ancient bacteria are indistinguishable from modern sulfur bacteria found in mud off of the coast of Chile.

http://phys.org/news/2015-02-scientists-hasnt-evolved-billion-years.html

[Abstract]: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/01/27/1419241112

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Scientists Discover Organism that hasn't Evolved in More Than 2 Billion Years | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 42 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 2) by fliptop on Tuesday February 03 2015, @05:10PM

    by fliptop (1666) on Tuesday February 03 2015, @05:10PM (#140742) Journal

    A friend I frequently debate current events w/ will add this news to his quiver for sure. He believes any money spent on putting humans into space (beyond the space station) is wasted because we still have not discovered all there is in every nook and cranny of the earth.

    I'm in the "why can't we do both?" camp.

    --
    To be oneself, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   2  

  • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Tuesday February 03 2015, @05:28PM

    by isostatic (365) on Tuesday February 03 2015, @05:28PM (#140751) Journal

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6EDzhDv-Is [youtube.com]

    • (Score: 2) by fliptop on Tuesday February 03 2015, @05:32PM

      by fliptop (1666) on Tuesday February 03 2015, @05:32PM (#140754) Journal

      I like how they put Buddy Holly in the same category as Einstein.

      --
      To be oneself, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03 2015, @07:45PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03 2015, @07:45PM (#140813)

        He didn't say which Einstein, Einstein!

        Could be Alfred, Bob, Napoleon or even Albert Lawrence Einstein (now known as Albert Lawrence Brooks).

        • (Score: 3, Funny) by isostatic on Tuesday February 03 2015, @09:53PM

          by isostatic (365) on Tuesday February 03 2015, @09:53PM (#140864) Journal

          Or Doc Brown's dog

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by FatPhil on Tuesday February 03 2015, @08:01PM

        by FatPhil (863) <reversethis-{if.fdsa} {ta} {tnelyos-cp}> on Tuesday February 03 2015, @08:01PM (#140827) Homepage
        Buddy Holly deserves to be mentioned in such a debate because he's an expert in leaving the planet's surface and not surviving. Alas, they don't seem to have realised he's a counter-argument.
        --
        Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

  • (Score: 2) by hoochiecoochieman on Tuesday February 03 2015, @06:44PM

    by hoochiecoochieman (4158) on Tuesday February 03 2015, @06:44PM (#140790)

    I like oranges slightly better than apples, so I never, ever eat apples.