Species: Spalax ehrenbergi Habitat: Dark, suffocating tunnels in damp soil deep beneath you — if you happen to live in the eastern Mediterranean (newscientist.com)
But how long did Mars stay wet, and did the water take the form of damp soil, scattered lakes, or a vast, salty ocean? (sciencemag.org)
Genetic studies suggest that liverworts — humble, stumpy plants related to mosses, which now commonly grow on damp soils — are the most ancient group of plants alive today. (discovermagazine.com)