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species choosing to live in intimate, interdependent existence. Lichens were composed of
an algae and a fungus that, living as a single organism, survived better than either could
alone. Cellulose-digesting bacteria lived in the gut of termites. Neither could survive without the other. Yet together they both thrived. Without a symbiotic merger, this arrangement
could never have developed.
Margulis found symbiotic relationships abounding wherever she looked. Existing species sought out new cooperative, symbiotic relationships to improve their survivability. Human corporations did it. So did nature when, for example, a bacterium (a highly evolved life
form) incorporated itself into another existing species to create a new symbiotic mutation
and the species jumped forward in its capabilities.
Margulis studied Earth’s early life forms and discovered four key symbioses that allowed the development of complex life on Earth: (1) a union between a heat-loving
archae-bacterium and a swimming bacterium (a spirochete). Some of the original spirochete genes were then coopted (2) to produce the organizing centers and filaments that pull
genetic material to opposite sides of a cell before it splits. This allowed the creation of complex life for ?2?F??2?Wr7&VGW&RV?wV?fVB?2?????vV??'W&???r&7FW&?V????6R???vV??&Vv?F?&??fW&FR??F?RF??7?W&R??f?????F??27v????r?6???W?????vV??&?6W76??r??R?6V??VB?&v??6?V?wV?fVB?B???F?7??F?W6????r&7FW&?V??F?R&W7V?B?bF??0?f?W"?7FWWf??WF???'??W&vW"v2????FW&??vR?B??G2??&wV?26??vVBF?BF?R6V??2?b??G2?????2?gV?v???BWfV??V??2Wf??fV@?F?&?Vv?7V6?f?26W&?W2?b7??&??F?2?W&vW'2F?B&W&W6V?FVB?&vR???7F?B7FW2f?'v&@?f?"F?R??f??fVB7V6?W2??6?RV&?6?VB?W"??F?&?v?&????cr?'WB&????v?7G2vW&R6?WF?6?V?F???Bv0?6??v?F?B?F?6???G&??????V??6V??2?fRF?V?"?v?D??F?W2W7F&?6???rF?BWfV?V??6V??2&RF?R&W7V?B?bB?V7B??R7??&??F?2?W&vW"?F??2F?66?fW'?7W'&VBvV?W&F????b66?V?F?7G2v???fR6V&6?VBf?"?f?V?B??B7GVF?VB7??&??F?2?W&vW'2?F?W??fP?f?V?BF?V?WfW'?v?W&R?????R?WB?bFV???G27W'f?fR&V6W6R?b7??&??F?2?W&vW'2v?F?&??BgV?v?F?B&?6W727'V6???WG&?V?G2g&??F?R6?????V??2?B?F?W"????2?fRv???R6?????W2?b6??W&F??r&7FW&??B?F?W"'Vw2?f??r???W"wWG2F?&?6W72?BF?vW7BF?Rf??BvRVB??v?F??WBF?V??vRv?V?B??B7W'f?fR?v?F??WB?&wV?>( ?2F?66?fW'??F'v??( ?2F?V?'??v?V?B?fR&V???VB??6???WFR??gV?f7G3??&wV?2?B?W"w&?FW"?7G&????W"?W6&?B?6&?6v??&P?F?R??W2v??6?C?( ??fRF?B??BF?R?fW"F?Rv??&R'?6??&B?'WB'???WGv?&???r?6??W&F??????BF'v??( ?2??F????bWf??WF???G&?fV?'??F?R6??&B?b?GW&?6V?V7F????2??6???WFR?( ????&RF?W???&P?F?W"?&?&W'B?66?V?6Rf?'7G2??Wr??&??????v??W?b6??2?#"??'&?6?????????7W&??W2??G3???r6???B&V6??W266?V?F?7B??Wr??&??????b?#R???&wV?2?????F?fW'6?G??b?fS?F?Rf?fR???vF??2?????6?FR??V?6??rV&?6?W'2???b?