Strange Microbes Found in Shark Bay Could Reveal How Complex Life Began

Researchers studying stromatolites and microbial mats in Shark Bay, western Australia, directly observed interactions between Asgard archaea and bacteria.

They saw nanotube connections forming between the two microbes, offering a possible model for how complex cells evolved.

Asgard archaea are considered the closest known relatives of eukaryotes, so the finding may help explain the origin of complex life on early Earth.

The study, published in Current Biology, highlights Shark Bay’s microbial ecosystems as a window into evolution.