When science seems like fiction: 46,000-year-old worm is revived by scientists

The constant advancement of science is capable of impressing anyone, because, through studies and hard work, humanity manages to break down barriers of knowledge that seemed impossible. Not even creatures from the past, long lost, can escape the eyes of researchers.

Although it sounds like the plot of a science fiction movie, a new study has managed to revive a ancient species of worms more than 46 thousand years old.

Reality really manages to break the limitations of what is credible, making us doubt surprising facts. After all, the researchers not only managed to revive the animal, but the immediate response of the little beings was even more impressive.

Species frozen more than 46,000 years ago is revived by scientists

Photo: Shatilovich et al. 2023/PLOS Genetics/Reproduction

According to the study published in the scientific journal PLOS Geneticsscientists discovered the roundworm species about forty meters below the so-called permafrost Siberian, a layer of the Earth’s surface that houses several frozen gases and some species of small living beings.

The recently discovered nematodes have an incredible ability to pause their metabolism and remain dormant for thousands of years, managing to survive in temperatures of around minus eighty degrees Celsius.

Research, still ongoing, could reveal extremely relevant information about how living creatures manage to adapt and survive amid unpredictable and recurring climate changes in the planet’s history.

Furthermore, when analyzing the individuals of this species collected, it was possible to notice an incredible tendency to procreate.

The first steps after resuscitation

After a dissection carried out by the study authors, which aimed to understand the aspects of adaptation and reactivate the dormant worms, the nematodes were able to awaken from their deep sleep with great ease.

When placed in a bacterial culture dish, widely used in the field of biological research, the roundworms promptly crawled in and began the reproduction process. This immediate response is a sign of how the species managed to maintain itself over generations, as reproduction is important for the perpetuation of beings.

Work to understand the evolutionary adaptation of Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, as it was called, remain in the laboratory of Philipp Schiffer and his team. They tirelessly search for more revelations about surviving extreme climate change.