New amoeba survives heat once thought impossible for complex life

A newly described amoeba found in California reproduced at 63°C, setting a reported record for eukaryotic life. The NASA-funded finding expands the known limits of complex cells and could inform the search for life in extreme environments.

Scientists have identified a newly described amoeba that can reproduce at 63°C, setting what researchers say is a heat-tolerance record for eukaryotes. These are organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound structures.

The organism, named Incendiamoeba cascadensis, was found in a hot spring at California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park. The NASA-funded study was published in the journal Cell on September 22, 2026.

A........

© News9Live