24,000-year-old zombie worm gets thawed, immediately starts reproducing
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- Scientists have successfully revived a 24,000-year-old rotifer, a microscopic multicellular organism, from Siberian permafrost, demonstrating its ability to survive tens of thousands of years in a frozen state called cryptobiosis.
- The rotifer not only moved after thawing but also reproduced asexually, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding the resilience of complex life forms in icy conditions.
- This discovery offers new hope for advancing cryopreservation techniques, which could have important implications for medicine and science in the future.
- However, the thawing of permafrost also raises concerns about the potential revival of ancient microbes, including viruses, some of which have shown infectious capabilities, posing possible health risks as global temperatures rise.
