After 46,000 years, once thawed the worm extracted from Arctic permafrost resumed normal activity

[Michie]

The nematode, officially named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, was discovered at a depth of 40 meters inside a fossilized burrow of Arctic squirrels.​

Scientists revived a 46,000-year-old microscopic worm from Siberian permafrost. The nematode, officially named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, was discovered at a depth of 40 meters inside a fossilized burrow of Arctic squirrels. This depth protected it from environmental shifts and severe cold, allowing it to remain frozen in a suspended state since the Ice Age.

Panagrolaimus kolymaensis survived the harsh conditions of the Late Pleistocene Era by entering a suspended state called cryptobiosis, where the biological activities of an organism are completely halted, enabling survival in conditions that are usually lethal. Through cryptobiosis, these worms pulled off their millennia-long hibernation, suspending their vital functions to resist extreme temperatures and hostile conditions for long periods. Cryptobiosis reduces the metabolism of the organism to undetectable levels, essentially hitting the metabolic pause button and preventing the deterioration of its tissues.

Continued below.

After 46,000 years, once thawed the worm extracted from Arctic permafrost resumed normal activity

The nematode, officially named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, was discovered at a depth of 40 meters inside a fossilized burrow of Arctic squirrels.

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