New Species Found in Lassen Volcanic National Breaks the Rules of Life on Earth
A tiny creature living in the boiling hot pools of Lassen Volcanic National Park has stunned scientists by surviving temperatures hotter than what was ever thought possible for complex life.
Researchers have discovered a new species of heat-loving amoeba, now named Incendiamoeba cascadensis, or the “fire amoeba from the Cascades.” And this tiny organism is breaking records.
Most living things, including people, thrive around room temperature. But this amoeba doesn’t even wake up unless the water is at least 107°F. Its favorite temperature range? A blistering 131–135°F. And incredibly, it can still grow and divide at 145°F — the hottest temperature any complex cell has ever survived.
So happy to announce our new preprint, “A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes.” We cultured a novel amoeba from Lassen Volcanic NP (CA, USA) that divides at 63°C (145°F) ? – a new record for euk growth! #protistsonsky ?
— H. B. Beryl Rappaport (@hbrappap.bsky.social) November 25, 2025 at 12:41 PM
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Scientists collected hot spring water from Lassen between 2023 and 2025 and found the amoeba in 14 different locations. They tested its limits by growing it in flasks at temperatures from 86°F to 147°F. While other life would fall apart in these conditions, the fire amoeba kept right on moving.
Only at 176°F (80°C) did it finally die — which is close to the temperature of boiling water in some high-elevation areas.
The secret to its survival lies in its DNA. The organism has special heat-protection proteins and stress-response systems that keep its delicate cell parts from melting in extreme heat. Scientists say discoveries like this change our understanding of where life can survive — even hinting that life on other planets might be more possible than once thought.
Researchers even found similar genetic traces in Yellowstone and New Zealand, meaning this little heat-loving creature might be quietly thriving in volcanic hotspots around the world.
Lassen Volcanic National Park just got even hotter — scientifically speaking.
