Ice Age Worm Revived After 46,000 Years – A Scientific Breakthrough
A remarkable discovery from Siberia has stunned scientists and expanded our understanding of life’s resilience. Researchers have successfully revived a microscopic worm that had been frozen in permafrost for 46,000 years , proving that life can endure in conditions once thought impossible. 🧬 Discovery in Siberian Permafrost The worm, identified as a new species named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis , was found in fossilized gopher burrows nearly 40 meters below the surface near the Kolyma River. Radiocarbon dating confirmed the surrounding plant material was from the late Pleistocene era , when woolly mammoths still roamed the Earth. Once thawed in laboratory conditions, the worm resumed feeding and even reproduced, demonstrating full metabolic recovery after tens of thousands of years in suspended animation. 🔬 The Science of Cryptobiosis The worm’s survival was made possible by cryptobiosis , a biological state where metabolic activity halts completely, allowing organisms to su...