Alright! Just when we were getting too comfortable, eukaryogenesis gets 'messy'. To be honest, I'd be surprised if it wasn't more complex than we thought. Always be receptive to new information.
Good thread and related paper!
#eukaryotes
Lzvolk
1/7
We often picture eukaryogenesis as a symbiosis between two lineages: an archaeal host & the ancestor of mitochondria.
But what if the origin of eukaryotes emerged within a much more complex microbial ecosystem?
A fascinating study from @tonigabaldon.bsky.social et al. explores exactly this. 🧵
Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
Our paper "Gene ancestries reveal diverse microbial associations during eukaryogenesis.” is finally out in Nature.
Eukaryogenesis was likely a gradual process shaped by multiple microbial partners and virus-mediated gene transfer, rather than a single binary symbiosis.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
