24,000-year-old rotifer revived from Siberian permafrost and reproduces asexually
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Apr 25
24,000-year-old rotifer revived from Siberian permafrost and reproduces asexually
16 articles · Updated · Fox News · Apr 25
Researchers thawed the ancient rotifer, found in Siberia's Yedoma permafrost, and observed it resume normal functions and reproduce asexually after 24,000 years in cryptobiosis.
This marks the first time a multicellular animal has been revived after millennia, demonstrating remarkable durability and survival in extreme frozen conditions.
The findings raise questions about the risks of permafrost thaw releasing dormant microbes and offer insights for biotechnology and astrobiology, though experts caution larger organisms cannot survive similar freezing periods.
What is the true biological limit for reviving frozen, complex life?
What molecular switch lets ancient creatures cheat death by freezing for millennia?
Will the secrets of frozen creatures allow us to cryopreserve human organs?
Does a 24,000-year-old survivor prove life could be dormant on Mars?
Could ancient plagues locked in permafrost reawaken as the Arctic thaws?
How do ancient bacteria develop antibiotic resistance without human influence?
Ancient Life Resurrected: How a 24,000-Year-Old Rotifer Challenges Biology and Warns of Permafrost Pathogens
Overview
In June 2021, scientists revived a 24,000-year-old bdelloid rotifer from Siberian permafrost, demonstrating its remarkable ability to survive long-term freezing by entering suspended animation and repairing extensive DNA damage. This survival strategy, including resistance to radiation and repeated freeze-thaw cycles, not only challenges traditional views on evolution and asexual reproduction but also inspires advances in organ cryopreservation and the search for life on icy moons like Europa. Meanwhile, climate change-driven permafrost thaw risks releasing ancient pathogens, as seen in the 2016 Siberian anthrax outbreak, highlighting urgent environmental and health concerns alongside exciting scientific opportunities.