New species of tiny ‘fairy shrimp’ found in the world’s hottest desert

By Jake Buehler

Milan Pallmann

Tiny freshwater shrimp live in the world’s hottest desert – and their eggs can lay dormant for years when water is scarce.

In 2006, satellite measurements recorded temperatures in the Lut Desert reaching 70.7°C –a world record. Since then, the desert has surpassed 80°C. The intense heat and relative dearth of knowledge about the region’s flora and fauna spurred scientists to make a series of expeditions to the Lut to survey the desert’s biodiversity.

Hossein Rajaei at the State …