Fire Amoeba Breaks Heat Limit for Complex Life

Syracuse University researchers discovered Incendiamoeba cascadensis, an amoeba from Lassen Volcanic National Park hot springs that grows at 145 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the 140-degree limit thought to cap eukaryotic life. It survives 158 degrees by forming a protective layer. The finding, published Tuesday in Cell, suggests other extreme eukaryotes await discovery.