Scientists revived tiny Siberian worms that had been frozen in permafrost for 42,000 years — and they started moving and eating

Agricultural Research Service/ Wikimedia Commons

• Russian scientists have revived tiny worms that had been frozen for 42,000 years.
• After being removed from Siberian permafrost, the worms were gradually thawed in a lab until they started moving around and consuming food.
• The scientists say their findings could have implications for astrobiology and cryomedicine. 

A group of Russian scientists have successfully revived two species of tiny worms that they discovered suspended in an icy chunk of Siberian permafrost.

The worms, known as nematodes or more commonly as roundworms, had been frozen for up to 42,000 years, since a time when much of the planet was covered in ice.

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