Mushroom-Like Deep Sea Organism May Be New Branch of Life

jones_supa writes: During a scientific cruise in 1986, scientists collected organisms at water depths of 400m and 1,000m on the south-east Australian continental slope, near Tasmania. But the two types of mushroom-shaped organisms were recognized only recently, after sorting of the bulk samples collected during the expedition. A team of scientists at the University of Copenhagen says the tiny organism does not fit into any of the known subdivisions of the animal kingdom. The organisms are described in the academic journal PLOS ONE. The authors of the paper recognise two new species of mushroom-shaped animal: Dendrogramma enigmatica and Dendrogramma discoides. Measuring only a few millimeters in size, the animals consist of a flattened disc and a stalk with a mouth on the end. One way to resolve the question surrounding Dendrogramma's affinities would be to examine its DNA, but new specimens will need to be found. The team's paper calls for researchers around the world to keep an eye out for other examples.

Comments

taxonomy

[OrugTor]

This is a reminder that the current taxonomy should be retired and replaced with a DNA-driven scheme. This will happen when the US goes metric and FEMA sends blankets to Hades.

Mostly Non-Symmetrical?

[nuckfuts]

FTA:

What we can say about these organisms is that they do not belong with the bilateria.

When I look at the photos, they seem to have rough bilateral symmetry.