Algae have learned to hunt to survive after the fall of the asteroid to Earth

Scientists have explained that one of the few species that survived the asteroid impact were tiny

plants that live in the ocean.Researchers found that this was caused by their adaptation and change of behavior - they began to eat other living creatures. Experts note that this is surprising, given that as a result of the disaster that occurred 66 million years ago, a huge amount of debris, soot and other substances entered the atmosphere; this cooled the climate and changed the composition of the oceans.

A team of scientists including researchers fromUniversity of California, wanted to understand how these algae managed to survive while the rest of the species died due to the disaster. To answer the questions, the team examined well-preserved fossils of surviving algae and created detailed computer models to reveal the likely evolution of algal feeding habits.

The researchers were lucky enough to find nanoscale fossils. They were found in rapidly accumulating and highly clayey sediments, which helped to keep them in good shape.

Single-celled organisms were able to control an entire microbiome

Simulation has shown that for survivalalgae have learned to hunt. High-resolution scanning electron microscope images covering fossil nanoplankton cells highlight holes that allowed flagella and haptoneme to exit the cell and suck food particles into it.

Modern relatives of ancient algae alsohave chloroplasts, which allow sunlight to be used to cook food from carbon dioxide and water. Scientists call this ability to survive both by feeding on other organisms and by photosynthesis as mixotrophy.

Scientists have found that after darknessdispersed, these mixotrophic algae spread from coastal shelves into the open ocean, where they became the dominant life form for the next million years, helping to quickly restore the food chain.

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