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Mov file time stamp9/11/2023 In Norse mythology, Hod (also spelled Höd, Höðr or Hoder) is a god, the blind son of Odin and Frigg, who is tricked into killing his own brother Baldr. “This is really exciting because we are looking for the first time at the molecular blueprints of the ancestor that gave rise to the first eukaryotic cells,” De Anda said. Meanwhile, Hods, which are more closely related to eukaryotes, are metabolically more similar to us, eating carbon and living in cooler environments. Their analysis indicates that the ancestor of all modern Asgards appears to have been living in hot environments, consuming CO 2 and chemicals to live. The researchers expanded the known Asgard genomic diversity, adding more than 50 undescribed Asgard genomes as input for their modelling. “Instead of fossils or ancient artifacts, we look at the genetic blueprints of modern microbes to reconstruct their past.” Some of the microbes analyzed for this study were collected using the Alvin deep-sea submersible, seen here on a collection trip in the Guaymas Basin in November 2018. “Imagine a time machine, not to explore the realms of dinosaurs or ancient civilizations, but to journey deep into the potential metabolic reactions that could have sparked the dawn of complex life,” said Valerie De Anda, a researcher in Baker’s lab. Based on genetic similarities with other organisms that can be grown in the lab and studied, the scientists can infer metabolism and other features of the Asgards. To identify them, scientists collect their genetic material from the environment and then piece together their genomes. Some have been discovered in deep sea sediments and hot springs around the world, but so far only two strains have been successfully grown in the lab. The Asgard archaea evolved more than 2 billion years ago, and their descendants are still living. The Hods, found in marine sediments, are one of several subgroups within the larger group of Asgard archaea. Led by Thijs Ettema of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, the research team identified the closest microbial relative to all complex life forms on the tree of life as a newly described order called the Hodarchaeales (or Hods for short). Having this common ancestor is a big step in understanding that.” “So, what events led microbes to evolve into eukaryotes?” said Brett Baker, UT Austin associate professor of integrative biology and marine science. No fossils of eukaryotes have been found from farther back than about 2 billion years ago, suggesting that before that, only various types of microbes existed. The team has found that all eukaryotes share a common ancestor among the Asgards. That means eukaryotes are, in the parlance of evolutionary biologists, a “well-nested clade” within Asgard archaea, similar to how birds are one of several groups within a larger group called dinosaurs, sharing a common ancestor. According to groundbreaking research published in the journal Nature, we humans - along with eagles, starfish, daisies and every complex organism on Earth - are, in a sense, Asgardians.Īnalyzing the genomes of hundreds of different microbes called archaea, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and other institutions have discovered that eukaryotes - complex life forms with nuclei in their cells, including all the world’s plants, animals, insects and fungi - trace their roots to a common Asgard archaean ancestor. AUSTIN, Texas - Thor, the legendary Norse god from the mythological city of Asgard, is not alone.
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