Bacteria that never evolve found by scientists

[Saifullah Sani]

Scientists are dumbfounded after discovering an ancient bacteria that has not evolved in 2.3 billion years. According to the scientists, the group shows the longest absence of evolution for a specific group.

Researchers from the University of California said that the rare microorganisms came from Australian coasts.

Scientists said that this new finding, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences contradicts Darwin’s theory of evolution.

The researchers examined different rock samples from the coastal waters of Western Australia and they found traces of the said microorganisms. They found out that one of the rocks they examined was 2.3 billion years old hence the microorganism is of the same age. When compared to microorganisms from a newer rock, the organisms exhibited the same shape and chemistry.

According to William Schopf, a UCLA professor of earth, planetary and space sciences in the UCLA College and the study’s lead author of the study, “It seems astounding that life has not evolved for more than 2 billion years — nearly half the history of the Earth. Given that evolution is a fact, this lack of evolution needs to be explained.”

Although the organism underwent mutations, the said mutations were not transferred to future generations making it stay the same even after 2.3 billion years.

With the organism remaining the same as it was 2.3 billion years ago, it contradicted the theory of Darwin stating that organism changes as the environment changes. One explanation that the scientists have is that environmental conditions in deep sea water are stable and does not change hence the microorganisms living in it did not evolve as well.

SMN Weekly – Bacteria that never evolve found by scientists