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They were buried in permafrost for 42,000 years but now some worms have been brought back to life. These are the nematodes hidden in the depths of the Arctic. But that's why there is not much to rejoice.
A series of permafrost sediment samples over the past 40,000 years have recently been thawed to revive nematodes. After a few weeks of thawing, the worms began to move and eat, setting a record for the period when an animal can survive cryogenic conservation.
The Experiment
A team of Russian biologists discovered over 300 samples of frozen land from different times and places in the Arctic. Some were taken to the Moscow laboratories. The researchers found that in samples taken in remote areas of northeastern Russia, there were nematodes of two different types, which they inserted into Petri dishes with a nutrient medium. After several weeks at 20 °, the worms began to gradually show signs of life.
Some of them – belonging to the genus Panagrolaimus – were found 30 meters deep in what had once been a frozen lair of about 32,000
from other worms, from genus Plectus, were found in a sample taken at a depth of about 3.5 meters. Carbon dating was used to determine age. The result was clear: worms date back to about 42,000 years
Although contamination can not be ruled out, according to researchers, it is highly unlikely. An exceptional find usually seen worms do not dig at these depths of permafrost. In addition, seasonal thawing is limited to about 80 centimeters and there was no indication of thawing more than 1.5 meters when the area was warmer about 9000 years ago. It is likely that these worms really woke up from an incredibly long nap
. Reviving old organizations is not in itself a novelty. In 2000, scientists made it with spores of Bacillus bacteria hidden in salt crystals 250 million years old
More resistant than tardigrades
Nematodes are notoriously resistant creatures, as well as their close relatives, water bears or tardigradi capable live in extreme conditions, repair the damage of their DNA and produce a vitrifying material. But even the bears did not come so long, to survive so long in the ice
The dark implications of the discovery
If on one side the return to life of the nematodes will allow More about the mechanisms Biochemists that these creatures use to limit the damage of ice and block the ravages of oxidation on DNA over millennia, the other worrying is the fact that melting permafrost could release pathogens blocked for tens of thousands of years.
Nematodes are unlikely to be dangerous to us, but their survival is evidence that a wide range of organisms – from bacteria to animals, to plants to mushrooms – can potentially come back to life after a long absence.
One more reason to counteract the melting ice, related to climate change and global warming.
The research was published on Doklady Biological Sciences .
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Francesca Mancuso
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