24,000-year-old frozen ‘zombie worm’ thawed by scientists - then it shockingly started reproducing
New York Post • • science
Key Points:
- Scientists successfully revived a rotifer, a microscopic multicellular organism, that had been frozen in Siberian permafrost for 24,000 years, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding long-term survival in extreme conditions.
- The rotifer resumed normal biological functions and reproduced asexually after thawing, demonstrating that its cellular structures remained intact despite tens of thousands of years in a state of cryptobiosis, where metabolism nearly stops.
- This discovery highlights the resilience of complex microscopic life forms and may have implications for biotechnology, astrobiology, and understanding cellular resistance to freezing and radiation damage.
- The findings raise concerns about the potential release of ancient microbes from melting permafrost, posing unknown ecological and health risks.
- While this revival showcases the limits of life in extreme environments, scientists emphasize that larger organisms like mammals cannot survive similar freezing and thawing due to their complexity.
