Bizarre worm discovered in California can survive 500 times the lethal human dose of arsenic and ‘has three sexes’
- Creatures is known as an ‘extremophile’ and survives in the harshest conditions
- Mono Lake was previously though to be home to just two other animals
- The water is three times saltier than the sea and the arsenic makes it almost inhospitable
Eight new species of nematode worms have been discovered in the ultra-salty Mono Lake in California in water with a concentration of arsenic 500 times greater than the lethal dose for a human.
The creatures are known as ‘extremophiles’ — a phrase which speaks to their ability to thrive in the harshest environments on Earth.
One species, temporarily named Auanema sp., has three different sexes, and carries its young inside its body like a kangaroo.
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The creatures are known as ‘extremophiles’ — a phrase which speaks to their ability to thrive in the harshest environments on Earth. One species, temporarily named Auanema sp. (pictured), has three different sexes, and carries its young inside its body like a kangaroo
Mono Lake, located in the Eastern Sierras of California, is three times as salty as the ocean and has an alkaline pH of 10.
It is an inhospitable area, with only two other animal species found in the lake, brine shrimp and diving flies.
The work expands this dramatically with the discovery of eight species of nematode.
Researchers from California Institute of Technology published their findings in the journal Current Biology.
‘Extremophiles can teach us so much about innovative strategies for dealing with stress,’ says graduate student Pei-Yin Shih who was involved in the research.
‘Our study shows we still have much to learn about how these 1000-celled animals have mastered survival in extreme environments.’
The eight species they found are diverse, ranging from benign microbe-grazers to parasites and predators.
But all are resilient to the arsenic-laden conditions but the Aunema species, which has three unnamed sexes, is also perfectly fine under normal conditions and can thrive in lab conditions, a rarity among extremophiles.
Researchers hope to stud the animals to see if there is genetic cause to the arsenic resistance and then how this could be used to help humans filter contaminated water.
Mono Lake (pictured), located in the Eastern Sierras of California, is three times as salty as the ocean and has an alkaline pH of 10. It is an inhospitable area, with only two other animal species found in the lake, brine shrimp and diving flies
WHAT IS MONO LAKE?
Mono Lake is found in California and is highly saline.
The water itself is almost inhospitable and only a small amount of animals can survive in it.
The region around it however, serves an important ecological niche and is often visited by migratory birds.
At its deepest, it is 158 feet to the lake floor, but the average water depth is around 58 feet.
It is approximately three times as salty as sea water.
It is alkaline, with a pH of 10, which also makes it extremely hard to survive in.
Mono Lake is found in California and is highly saline. The water itself is almost inhospitable and only a small amount of animals can survive in it
