Yellowstone National Park hosts diverse hot springs, including the Grand Prismatic and Mammoth Hot Springs. Recent research highlights that wetsalts tiger beetles thrive in these extreme conditions due to specialized heat-resistant adaptations. Typically, such high temperatures would be lethal to most organisms, as proteins begin to denature at lower temperatures. Despite the springs' harsh environment, these beetles manage to hunt and scavenge, which is remarkable for a species that usually avoids such acidic and high-temperature habitats. The research sheds light on the unique adaptations of these insects in extreme ecological environments.
It's so weird to see insects be able to thrive in those temperatures because usually, that would kill them, said lead author Kelly Willemssens, a lecturer at Clemson University.
I knew they shouldn't be there because the water was too hot, said Leon Higley, an insect ecologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
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