The Santa Barbara Basin is a symbiosis oasis

摘要: It is generally agreed that the origin and initial diversification of Eucarya occurred in late Archaean or Proterozoic Eons when atmospheric oxygen levels were low risk DNA damage due to ultraviolet radiation was high. Because deep water provides refuge against early eukaryotes may have been aerotolerant anaerobes, deep-water dysoxic environments are likely settings for primeval eukaryotic diversification. Fossil evidence shows deep-sea microbial mats, possibly sulphur bacteria similar Beggiatoa, existed during time. Here we report on community a modern analogue, Santa Barbara Basin (California, USA). The Beggiatoa mats these severely sulphidic sediments support surprisingly abundant protistan metazoan meiofaunal community, most members which harbour prokaryotic symbionts. Many taxa new science, both microaerophilic anaerobic appear be represented. Compared with nearby aerated sites, 'symbiosis oasis' offering source organisms testing symbiosis hypotheses eukaryogenesis.