Scientists revive 46,000-year-old worm that was frozen in permafrost
Scientists were able to revive a 46,000-year-old species of worm that had been frozen in permafrost. The findings, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, detailed that these creatures "have developed the ability to enter a state of suspended metabolism called cryptobiosis when environmental conditions are unfavorable," which allows them to "suspend life over geological time scales."
The worm was discovered to be a species of nematode or roundworm called Panagrolaimus kolymaenis, and it was frozen in Siberian permafrost from the time of the woolly mammoths. The nematode remained in a state "between death and life," Teymuras Kurzchalia, professor emeritus at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, who co-authored the study told CNN. "One can halt life and then start it from the beginning. This a major finding."
Nematodes are notoriously resilient, known to survive for long periods of time in treacherous conditions like sub-zero temperatures, per NPR. The worm survived through a process called cryptobiosis, which allowed it to bring its metabolism down substantially and not require water or oxygen. However, "nobody had thought that this process could be for millennia, for 40,000 years — or even longer," Philipp Schiffer, a group leader at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Cologne and one of the study's authors, told NPR.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The worm was revived simply by rehydrating it. "The major take-home message or summary of this discovery is that it is, in principle, possible to stop life for more or less an indefinite time and then restart it," Kurzchalia told The New York Times. As climate change continues to raise temperatures, more permafrost may melt to reveal other creatures that have been dormant for thousands of years.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
A national writers nonprofit is the latest front in the war against generative AI
Under the radar NaNoWriMo refuses to condemn the use of AI for its annual challenge. Writers are not having it.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
5 easy ways to start saving more
The Explainer Even if you start small, saving will eventually make a difference in your overall financial situation
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Tucker Carlson's WWII interview fractures conservatives
Talking Points Holocaust revisionism forces 'introspection' in right-wing media
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
The UK's worsening wet weather
The Explainer More frequent and intense rain is keeping flood boss 'awake at night'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Is dangerous weather in the Mediterranean Sea the new normal?
Today's Big Question A waterspout, or sea tornado, recently sank a superyacht off the coast of Sicily
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The moon may be the ideal place to preserve Earth's biodiversity
under the radar A cache in a crater
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
What is NASA working on?
In Depth A running list of the space agency's most exciting developments
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Life on Earth just (maybe) got older than everyone decided it was
Under the radar Fossil records from western Africa show unexpected findings
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Production of 'dark' oxygen deep in the ocean comes to light
Under the radar The sea is full of se(a)crets
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
4 tips to make your home more eco-friendly
The Week Recommends You don't have to spend a bunch of money to make more sustainable choices
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Is Hurricane Beryl the sign of another dangerous storm season?
Today's Big Question Climate change is fueling the frequency and intensity of storms
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published