 Scientists have resurrected a microscopic wormthat was survived in the Siberian permafrost for a record-breaking 46,000 years. That's tens of thousands of years older than any previously resurrected worms. The ancient roundworm, or nematode, is a new species called Panagrolaimus kolymaensis. It was discovered in 2002 inside a fossilized squirrel burrow in the Siberian permafrost. While the nematode was frozen for thousands of years, scientists were able to revive it in 2018. This week, a new study published in PLOS Genetics explains that the nematode could survive in the permafrost for so long by entering a state of suspended animation called cryptobiosis. 'Survival in extreme environments for prolonged periods is a challenge that only a few organisms are capable of,' researchers wrote in the study. In cryptobiosis, the nematode's metabolism slows down and its cells dehydrate. This allows the nematode to survive for long periods of time in harsh conditions. The ancient roundworm, or nematode, is a new species called Panagrolaimus kolymaensis (Picture:Alexei V. Tchesunov and Anastasia Shatilovich / Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science) This particular worm entered cryptobiosis in the late Pleistocene that spanned 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago, an epoch that included that last ice age. Since then, the permafrost has never thawed making this the longest recorded cryptobiosis in nematodes according to the study. Until now, the Antarctic nematode species Plectus murrayi and a Tylenchus polyhypnus specimen held this record. The former was frozen in moss for 25.5 years and the latter was in a herbarium for 39 years. The discovery shows that some organisms can survive for extremely long periods in frozen environments. Other ancient organisms could still be froz){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Scientists have resurrected a microscopic worm that was survived in the Siberian permafrost for a record-breaking 46,000 years.
That’s tens of thousands of years older than any previously resurrected worms.
The ancient roundworm, or nematode, is a new species called Panagrolaimus kolymaensis.
It was discovered in 2002 inside a fossilized squirrel burrow in the Siberian permafrost. While the nematode was frozen for thousands of years, scientists were able to revive it in 2018.