Researchers have discovered a new kind of organism that doesn’t fit into the plant, animal, or any other kingdom of known organisms. 2 species of the microscopic organisms, called hemimastigotes, were found in dirt. Hemimastigotes were first seen and described in the 19th century, and ~10 species have been described over the past 100 years. But up to now, no one could figure out how they fit into the evolutionary tree of life. Based on the new genetic analysis, it looks like you’d have to go back 1 ga before you could find a common ancestor of hemimastigotes and any other known living thing.

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