46,000-Year-Old Roundworm Revived from Siberian Permafrost

In a recent discovery, scientists have successfully revived a tiny roundworm from the Siberian permafrost after it remained in suspended animation for an astonishing 46,000 years.

This extraordinary female microscopic creature not only came back to life but also surprised researchers by giving birth to babies in a laboratory dish.

The findings were made public in a study published on Thursday in the journal PLOS Genetics. By examining the genetic makeup of this dormant roundworm, scientists determined that it belongs to a previously unknown species of nematode.

These nematodes, also known as roundworms, are incredibly common in our world today, thriving in various environments such as soil, water, and the ocean floor.

William Crow, a nematologist from the University of Florida who was not part of the research, said that the majority of nematode species have not been identified or described.

Crow mentioned in an email that the ancient Siberian worm might belong to a species that no longer exists. On the other hand, he also pointed out that it’s possible this roundworm is a common type of nematode that simply hasn’t been officially described yet.

A practical reason to study nematode’s dormant state

Apart from the shocking aspect of a nematode with time-traveling abilities, there is a significant practical reason to investigate how these small, spindle-shaped creatures enter a dormant state to endure harsh environments.

Philipp Schiffer, a group leader at the Institute for Zoology at the University of Cologne and one of the study’s authors, emphasized this point.

An international team revived microscopic nematode worms that spent 46000 years in cryptobiosis in the Siberian permafrost soil.

They lived less than a month but gave birth to more than 100 generations pic.twitter.com/O6tn4H4kNV

— What the media hides. (@narrative_hole) July 28, 2023

By understanding their survival mechanisms at a molecular level, we can gain insights into how animals adapt when their habitats are affected by rising global temperatures and shifting weather patterns.

In an email, Schiffer expressed the importance of understanding how species have evolved and adapted to extreme conditions. By gaining this knowledge, we may be able to apply it to help both present-day species and humans.

Breaks dormancy record by tens of thousands of years

The newly discovered nematode species has been named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis and has set a remarkable record for dormancy, surpassing other species by tens of thousands of years.

The frozen soil containing the nematode was found in an ancient gopher hole approximately 130 feet beneath the surface.

Through radiocarbon dating, scientists established that the soil has an age of around 46,000 years, with a margin of error of approximately one thousand years.

Gregory Copenhaver, co-editor of PLOS Genetics and director of the Institute for Convergent Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, expressed astonishment at the nematode’s impressive survival span.

The fact that this single organism, the individual they discovered, has been alive for the past 46,000 years is truly remarkable.

Copenhaver pointed out that this duration stretches back into the previous geologic epoch known as the Pleistocene.