Home » Science » Biological Sciences » While scientists were analyzing prehistoric worms recovered from permafrost, two 40,000 year old nematodes ‘revived’ and began moving and eating, making them the oldest multi-cellular life alive on Earth.

While scientists were analyzing prehistoric worms recovered from permafrost, two 40,000 year old nematodes ‘revived’ and began moving and eating, making them the oldest multi-cellular life alive on Earth.

Ancient Roundworms Allegedly Resurrected From Russian Permafrost

The permafrost of Russia’s Siberian heartland has yielded an array of impressive finds in recent years. Last September, a local resident wandering along the banks of a river in the republic of Yakutia discovered the roughly 50,000-year-old remains of an extinct lion cub almost perfectly preserved by the permanently frozen ground. In 2015, Russian scientists chanced upon the similarly well-preserved remains of two ancient lion cubs dubbed Uyan and Dina.

Now, the Siberian Times reports, Yakutia’s frigid ground has produced yet another revolutionary discovery: Two nematodes, or roundworms, preserved in the Arctic permafrost for around 40,000 years have allegedly come back to life after being “defrosted” by researchers. If proven true, the … Continue Reading


Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-roundworms-allegedly-resurrected-russian-permafrost-180969782/