[ad_1]
Researchers believe that humans may have something to learn from the worm's resilience.
Mono Lake is three times saltier than the Pacific Ocean – the researchers said, they were so salty that only two other species lived there: brine shrimp and diving flies.
That's before they found the worms.
The biology of worms could be the key for humans
The eight worms are unique – some are predators, others are parasites. Others nest on the microbes in the lake. But they are all extremophiles – organisms that thrive in difficult conditions in which most species could not survive.
California Lake is one of the extreme places where researchers have identified nematodes, the phylum of eight species of worms. They survive at the bottom of the ocean, in the Antarctic tundra and even below the surface of the Earth.
The researchers argued that nematodes could be genetically predisposed to thrive under extreme conditions. Learning more about the factors that keep them alive in hostile environments could lead to a breakthrough in human health, researchers said.
"The next innovation for biotechnology could be in nature," he said. "We must protect and use wildlife responsibly."
[ad_2]
Source link