Scientists reveal the role of hidden microbes called Asgard archaea in the origins of complex life, challenging long-held views of evolution.

The name references the initial discovery of Asgard archaea close to Loki's Castle, a black smoker on the mid-Atlantic ridge between Norway and Svalbard. After further searches, microbiologists ...

Named Asgard archaea because they were collected from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent in the Arctic known as "Loki's castle," ...