Evolutionary origins of hydrothermal vents metazoans

The discovery of the oases associated with hydrothermal vents in the deep sea, is probably the most fascinating discovery of oceanography of the last century. In this habitat, contrary to all expectations, a thriving development of unknown organisms was observed. At that time the knowledge about the deep sea organisms was very scarce and the accepted hypotheses about their evolutionary origins, their physiology or their ecology were very speculative. Almost forty years later, exploration of the deep-sea realm, but also of paleontological data together with the improvements in the phylogenetic methods, allowed the rejection of the hypothesis of an evolutionary history cut off the rest of the marine realm.