# Multicellular Animal Life That Doesn't Need Oxygen--DISCOVERED! Newslink **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350 "2010-04-08T00:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350/1 "2010-04-08T00:16:03Z")
I wouldn’t have belived it, but the Italians found some. > **[First animals to live without oxygen discovered](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100407094450.htm)** > > Deep under the Mediterranean Sea, small animals have been discovered that live their entire lives without oxygen and surrounded by 'poisonous' sulphides. Researchers report the existence of multicellular organisms (new members of the group... > [@](#): > > First Animals to Live Without Oxygen Discovered > ScienceDaily (Apr. 7, 2010) — Deep under the Mediterranean Sea, small animals have been discovered that live their entire lives without oxygen and surrounded by ‘poisonous’ sulphides. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology report the existence of multicellular organisms (new members of the group Loricifera), showing that they are alive, metabolically active, and apparently reproducing in spite of a complete absence of oxygen. We must re-define the term “habitable world”. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350/2 "2010-04-08T01:54:42Z")
Cool. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350/3 "2010-04-08T02:15:03Z")
Dude, the word “animal” has to be re-defined. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350/4 "2010-04-08T04:57:23Z")
So Cool! ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350/5 "2010-04-08T07:13:33Z")
Woah. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350/6 "2010-04-08T13:06:52Z")
Love this kind of thing. Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350/7 "2010-04-08T13:40:32Z")
[Wikipedia on Loricifera](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loricifera), for those wondering “What the heck is a Loricifera?” ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multicellular-animal-life-that-doesnt-need-oxygen-discovered-newslink/535350/8 "2010-04-08T13:48:48Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > We must re-define the term “habitable world”. Um, not really at all, no we don’t. The idea of life existing without oxygen isn’t new, and it’s not even science fiction. After all, life evolved here on this planet without oxygen. The idea of life being present on a planet without oxygen isn’t new or particularly challenging. That said, it’s neat that these guys have been found. Very cool.