Cryogenic Breakthrough: Frozen worms in permafrost for 42,000 years have been revived!

By The Siberian Times Reporter

Two ancient nematodes are moving and eating for the first time since the Pleistocene in a major scientific breakthrough, say experts.

Roundworms from two regions of Siberia have come back to life in Petri dishes, according to a new scientific study.

"We have obtained the first data demonstrating the ability of multicellular organisms for long-term cryobiosis in Arctic permafrost deposits," says a report of Russian scientists from four institutions in collaboration with the United States. University of Princeton.

Duvanny Yar, a rea permafrost where one of the worms was collected. (Image: Nikita Zimov)

Some 300 prehistoric worms were badyzed – and two showed viable nematodes.

"After being thawed, nematodes showed signs of life," said a report today from Yakutia, the area where worms were found.

"They started to move and eat."

Viable nematodes. (Image: Doklady Biological Sciences / Pleiades Publishing )

A worm was coming from a former squirrel terrier in a permafrost wall from the outcrop of Duvanny Yar in the Lower course of the Kolyma River – near the site of Pleistocene Park that seeks to recreate the arctic habitat of the extinct woolly mammoth, according to the scientific article published in Doklady Biological Sciences this week.

He is about 32,000 years old.

Another was found in permafrost near the Alazeya River in 2015, and is about 41,700 years old.

Currently, nematodes are the oldest living animals on the planet.

They are both considered women.

Worms came back to life in an Institute laboratory of physicochemical and biological problems of soil science of the Moscow region.

Scientists say, "Our data demonstrate the ability of multicellular organisms to survive long-term cryobidosis (tens of thousands of years) under conditions of natural cryopreservation."

"It is evident that this ability suggests that Pleistocene nematodes have coping mechanisms that may be of scientific and practical importance for related fields of science, such as cryomedicine, cryobiology, and astrobiology. "

Specialists in the Institute of Psycho-Chemical and Biological Problems and Soil Sciences in the region of Moscow. (The Siberian Times)

The Russian institutions involved in pioneering research were: the Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems ues of soil science; Moscow State University; Biological Station of the White Sea of ​​Pertsov, part of the Moscow State University; and the Moscow Higher School of Economics.

The geoscience department of Princeton University was also involved.

Back to top: Wake up after 42,000 years … nematodes. Source: The Siberian Times

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