by Elton Gomes
Scientists are saying that a sample of microscopic worms that were once suspended in a deep freeze in Siberia for almost 42,000 years have come back to life after being defrosted.
First published in the journal Doklady Biological Sciences, the findings indicate evidences of multicellular organisms – known as nematodes – coming back to life after a long period in the Arctic permafrost. Nematodes are small worms that generally measure about one millimetre in length.
“We have obtained the first data demonstrating the capability of multicellular organisms for longterm cryobiosis in permafrost deposits of the Arctic,” a report from Russian scientists belonging to four different institutions in collaboration with Princetown University said, as per the Siberian Times.
The Siberian Times further reported that roughly 300 prehistoric worms were analysed, out of which two “were shown to contain viable nematodes.” “After being defrosted, the nematodes showed signs of life,” a report said from Yakutia, the region where the worms were found. “They started moving and eating.”
That was a long sleep…. Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come back to life. Nematodes moving and eating again for the first time since the Pleistocene age in major scientific breakthrough, say experts https://t.co/tHgp0nizZR pic.twitter.com/lhD8Vhw948
The Siberian Times (@siberian_times) July 26, 2018
One worm came was found from an ancient squirrel burrow in a wall of permafrost in the Duvannny Yar outcrop in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River, which is close to Pleistocene Park that is attempting to recreate the Arctic habitat of the already extinct woolly mammoth. The other worm was found again in permafrost near Alazeya River in 2015, and is estimated to be around 41,700 years old. Both worms are believed to be female.
After being removed from permafrost, the worms were left to thaw in petri dishes and were kept at 20 degrees Celsius. Both worms began displaying signs of live and were moving and eating after several weeks. The worms’ adaptive mechanisms could be of practical importance for fields such as astrobiology, as well as cryomedicine and cryobiology, which is the study of how extremely low temperatures affect life.
An article in Live Science stated that the nematodes were not the first organisms to come back to life after living in permafrost. In a previous discovery, scientists identified a giant virus that was brought back to life after spending nearly 30,000 years in permafrost.
The article stated that further study will be required to reveal the mechanisms in the nematodes that allowed them to survive such extended freezing conditions. Researchers will be eager to indicate how such mechanisms could assist in areas such as cryomedicine, cryobiology, and astrobiology.
Elton Gomes is a staff writer at Qrius