(ORDO NEWS) — Scientists thawed bdelloid rotifers found in the permafrost of Siberia. They were very surprised, because the animals were not only alive, but also capable of reproduction. Reported by The Guardian.
The results of the study were published in the journal Current Biology. Bdelloid rotifers are animals that are famous for being able to withstand the effects of various radiation indicators and can easily endure even the most terrible living conditions.
These multicellular organisms have been living for 35 million years, and today they can be found in large numbers in freshwater bodies of water and in various humid environments. In the event that living conditions become too bad, rotifers almost completely stop their metabolism. An interesting fact is that females reproduce themselves, and males directly do not even exist in nature.
Stas Malavin, who conducted the study, together with his colleagues used modern research methods and found that the age of the discovered microscopic worms is 24 thousand years. Despite this age, after thawing, they retained the ability to reproduce and continue to live in a suitable environment for them.
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