It thawed out — and then it multiplied.
Scientists successfully revived a “zombie worm” that had been frozen for 24,000 years, revealing new insight into how life survives in the most unforgiving environments over extended periods of time.
According to a study published in the scientific journal Current Biology, researchers found that the microscopic organism — identified as a rotifer — is a small, multicellular animal commonly found in freshwater environments that is known for its unusual durability, FOX News reported.
The “zombie worm” has been frozen deep within Siberian permafrost since the Late Pleistocene, which was considered to be the final epoch of the Ice Age, ending roughly 11,700 years ago.
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