Moontanman Posted June 2, 2011 Posted June 2, 2011 Deep-Earth devil worms A newly identified species of nematode lives miles deep in the tight, hot crevices of the Earth's crust Halicephalobus mephisto Property of the University Ghent, Belgium - Gaetan Borgonie Scientists have identified a new species of microscopic worms living in the ground below South African mines, isolated from fracture water gushing up from miles below the Earth's surface. It is the first multicellular organism to be found at such depths. The discovery of the tiny nematode (named Halicephalobus mesphisto after Mephistopheles, a literary nickname for the Devil), published in this week's issue of Nature, challenges the assumption that deep subsurface ecosystems cannot support multicellular life and may have implications in the search for life on other planets. Read more: Deep-Earth devil worms - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/58187/#ixzz1O92kgkxm
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