Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Subterranean worms from hell

Nature (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

New species of nematode discovered more than a kilometre underground.

The discovery of multicellular creatures from the deepest mines sounds like something from the pages of J. R. R. Tolkien. But scientists have now found four species of nematode, or roundworm, lurking in South Africa's gold mines at depths where only single-celled bacteria were thought to reside. And at least one of them, Halicephalobus mephisto, has never been described before.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Borgonie, G. et al. Nature 474, 79-82 (2011).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lin, L.-H. et al. Science 314, 479-482 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Roussel, E. G. et al. Science 320, 1046 (2008).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Nadia Drake
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Editorial: Gold mine

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Drake, N. Subterranean worms from hell. Nature (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2011.342

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2011.342

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing