Gold mine bug 'lives without light, oxygen'
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A bacterium which lives entirely on its own and survives without oxygen in complete darkness has been discovered in a South African gold mine.
Researchers believe the bug is the first single-species ecosystem found on Earth.
For its energy it relies on water, hydrogen and sulphate rather than the sun.
The researchers say the bacterium gives clues to life forms on other planets that may well exist without oxygen and instead use chemicals like sulphur to get their energy.
-BBC
