Adaptation: largest amoeba lives at the bottom of the Mariana Trench

A 4 inch single cell organism is not science fiction?

Scientists say xenophyophores are the largest individual cells in existence. Recent studies indicate that by trapping particles from the water, xenophyophores can concentrate high levels of lead, uranium and mercury and are thus likely resistant to large doses of heavy metals. They also are well suited to a life of darkness, low temperature and high pressure in the deep sea.

The researchers spotted the life forms at depths up to 6.6 miles (10,641 meters) within the Sirena Deep of the Mariana Trench.

“The identification of these gigantic cells in one of the deepest marine environments on the planet opens up a whole new habitat for further study of biodiversity, biotechnological potential and extreme environment adaptation,” said Doug Bartlett, the Scripps marine microbiologist who organized the expedition.

Deepest ocean trench home to race of giant amoebas – CSMonitor.com

Xenophyophores are not the only creatures living down there. The seafloor forms an entire ecosystem of organisms adapted to conditions alien to the rest of the world.

4 inch amoeba (from Christian Science Monitor)

In the movie Jurassic Park, scientist Ian Malcolm neatly sums up the entire theme when he says, “Because the history of evolution is that life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories. It crashes through barriers. Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But life finds a way.”

Indeed.

Adaptation, gradualism, and innovation

How does adaptation actually work? Do we really have a workable, tested understanding of how nature achieves innovation? Are the constructs of natural selection settled? Dear reader, please consider that biology does not yet understand adaptation either in process or principle. For adaptation is not random at all. But it will not be denied. We all wish we could characterize innovation in the same way in our own organizations.

Adaptation and Natural Selection by George Williams This is one of the more important works on natural selection. The book opposes certain of the generally advocated qualifications and additions to the theory.