Cacing Beku 46,000 Tahun Hidup Semula!

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It seems unthinkable that anything could live after tens of thousands of years in hibernation. The discovery of a tiny creature in the Siberian permafrost has sparked conversations about how resilient life can be.

In a recent breakthrough, researchers determined that a worm which had been frozen for about 46,000 years had survived and remained alive.

Dr. Philipp Schiffer, a group leader in the Institute of Zoology at the University of Cologne, and his colleagues, have been studying how this creature managed to survive well beyond its usual lifespan.

Siberia has vast stretches of permafrost, which is soil or sediment that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years.

The frozen ground can extend hundreds of feet below the surface in certain regions, with the cold temperatures preserving anything trapped within its layers.

Conditions in these areas can be challenging for people, but the permafrost forms perfect vaults for preserving animal remains. Thick ice and frigid temperatures keep organic material fresh enough to study thousands of years later.

The resurrected worm belongs to a genus known for its ability to enter cryptobiosis, which is a biological strategy where life appears to stop under cold conditions.

No major metabolic activity occurs in this state, and organisms can endure severe environmental conditions that would normally be lethal.

Biologists have documented cryptobiosis in other creatures, such as tardigrades and certain brine shrimp. The animals halt their usual body functions until they can return to an environment that can support growth and reproduction.

Experts identified the newly studied nematode as Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, a species not previously described in scientific literature.

Radiocarbon dating showed that the sample was tens of thousands of years old, indicating that this worm spent most of its existence in suspended animation under frozen sediment.

It was retrieved at a depth of about 40 yards (37 meters). This position helped it stay protected in that intense cold, and gave it a chance to be resurrected in modern laboratories, where it resumed normal activity and even produced offspring.

According to the researchers, nematodes of this variety usually live for only one or two months. The worm that reawakened in the lab outlived that window by tapping into cryptobiotic powers that are still under investigation.

Special molecules may stabilize cells in these worms, keeping them intact despite extreme dryness or temperature shifts. Similar molecules have been found in other organisms that are known to survive dehydration and freezing.

“No one had thought that this process could last millennia, 40,000 years, or even longer. It is simply amazing that life can begin again after so long, in the state between life and death,” said Dr. Schiffer.

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