The World

The Fearsome Nematodes of the Dry Valley

A trip to the bottom of the world reveals one of the driest places on earth where the biggest predator is a tiny worm.

One of the driest places on Earth lies at the bottom of the world, the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. A tiny worm is at the top predator in this desert, and scientists are subtly adjusting water and food levels to learn how food chains adapt to changing conditions. IEEE Spectrum’s Glen Zorpette reports.