2023-07-31 13:57:35
A team of scientists revealed a worm that managed to survive in a state of hibernation for 46,000 years in Siberia, before returning to its normal activities. According to “NPR”.
The worm, an unknown species of nematode, survived following entering a hibernation state, a state in which organisms do not eat or metabolize.
Through radioactive carbon, the team was able to determine the age of the worm, which they called Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, which they found at a depth of 40 meters below the surface of the earth, according to a study by the team in the journal PLOS Genetics.
What was surprising was the long period of time the worm spent in hibernation, said Philipp Schäfer, the team’s lead supervisor at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Cologne in Germany.
He added, “No one believed that this process might continue for thousands of years.. It is amazing that life begins once more following such a long time from a stage between life and death. It seems that everything is possible for these animals (nematodes) and this is what makes them wonderful.” Extremely”.
Schafer said that this work can help to know how organisms can adapt to the harsh environments of today’s world, with climate change and rising temperatures.
“We may learn a lot regarding how and what is happening now on Earth, and we may learn to protect endangered species,” he said.
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