Scientists find 689 fungi 1,640 feet beneath Michigan
Researchers discovered 689 species of fungi, including 13 previously unknown types, living 1,640 feet underground in Michigan's Antrim Shale. The study suggests that deep subsurface environments are far more biologically diverse than previously assumed.
Why it matters
These findings challenge existing biological models regarding the limits of life and suggest that global biodiversity estimates may be significantly underestimated.
Scientists drilling 1,640 feet beneath Michigan have discovered 689 kinds of fungi living in water that last touched the surface 11,000 years ago.The University of Michigan study shows that deep underground rocks and water are full of living creatures. Researchers found busy communities of fungi, tiny worms, and tardigrades, which are often called water bears. The water carrying them fell as rain or melted ice at the end of the last Ice Age, then slowly sank into the ground.The findings were published in The ISME Journal in a study titled "Deep subsurface organic-rich shale supports abundant, diverse, and novel fungi" (2026). The research was led by University of Michigan doctoral candidate Quinn Moon and senior author Tim James.
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