A multicellular microorganism has come back to life after being frozen for 24,000 years in Siberia. This is indicated by research in which scientists discovered the animal known as a bdeloid rotifer in the Alayeza River, in the Russian Arctic.
Once the ice thawed, it was able to reproduce asexually, even after spending thousands of years in a latency state known as cryptobiosis.
Previous research has already shown that they can live frozen for up to ten years. The new study, published this week in Current Biology, suggests they can live for thousands of years or even indefinitely.
Stas Malavin, from the Institute of Physical, Chemical and Biological Problems in the World’s Sciences… told the press union in Russia alone.
He said more studies were needed to determine how this might happen.
To examine the process, the scientists involved in the study frozen and defrost dozens of animals in the lab. Radiocarbon dating of the bdeloid rotifers determined that the sample was between 23960 and 24485 years old.
The origin of the word “rotivirus” is from the Latin, referring to “wheel”, referring to the circle of eyelashes that surround the mouth of these animals, which move to catch food particles.
Bdeloid rotifers are a class of rotifers found in freshwater environments around the world. They are known for their ability to withstand extreme situations.
It is one of the most radiation-resistant animals, according to the New York Times, which reports its ability to withstand lack of oxygen, starvation, high acidity, and years of drought.
There are also reports of other multicellular organisms coming back to life thousands of years later, including the nematode worm as well as some plants and algae.
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