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Science 2 May 1997:
Vol. 276. no. 5313, p. 700
DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5313.700
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Microbial Biology:
Tracing the Mother of All Cells

Virginia Morrell

By sketching the first complete family tree of the microbes, evolutionist Carl Woese allowed researchers to search for organisms near its base--close to the ancestral one-celled form. Many of these organisms are Archaea that thrive in extreme environments. Their features suggest that the first organisms may have been born in boiling sulfurous pools or hot, mineral-laden deep-sea volcanic vents.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)