. ▁Such ▁one - car bon ▁comp ounds ▁include ▁m eth yl am ines , ▁m eth an ol , ▁and ▁m eth yl ▁th i ols . ▁Only ▁M eth anos arc ina ▁species ▁possess ▁all ▁three ▁known ▁path ways ▁for ▁m eth an ogen esis , ▁and ▁are ▁capable ▁of ▁util izing ▁no ▁less ▁than ▁nine ▁m eth an ogen ic ▁substr ates , ▁including ▁ac et ate . ▁ ▁M eth anos arc ina ▁are ▁the ▁world ' s ▁most ▁diverse ▁m eth an og ens ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁e col ogy . ▁ ▁They ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁environments ▁such ▁as ▁land fill s , ▁se w age ▁he aps , ▁deep ▁sea ▁v ents , ▁deep ▁sub sur face ▁ground water , ▁and ▁even ▁in ▁the ▁gut ▁of ▁many ▁different ▁ung ul ates , ▁including ▁c ows , ▁sheep , ▁go ats , ▁and ▁de er . ▁ ▁M eth anos arc ina ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁human ▁dig est ive ▁tract . ▁ ▁M . ▁b ark eri ▁can ▁with stand ▁extreme ▁temperature ▁fl uct u ations ▁and ▁go ▁without ▁water ▁for ▁extended ▁periods . ▁ ▁It ▁can ▁consume ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁comp ounds ▁or ▁surv ive ▁sole ly ▁on ▁hydro gen ▁and ▁carbon ▁dio x ide . ▁ ▁It ▁can ▁also ▁surv ive ▁in ▁low ▁p H ▁environments ▁that ▁are ▁typically ▁ha z ard ous ▁for ▁life . ▁Not ing ▁its ▁extreme ▁vers at ility , ▁bi ologist ▁Kevin ▁S ow ers ▁post ulated ▁that