Awake after 42,000 years... Picture: The Siberian Times

The roundworms from two areas of Siberia came back to life in Petri dishes, says a new scientific study.

‘We have obtained the first data demonstrating the capability of multicellular organisms for longterm cryobiosis in permafrost deposits of the Arctic,’ states a report from Russian scientists from four institutions in collaboration with Princetown University.

Some 300 prehistoric worms were analysed - and two ‘were shown to contain viable nematodes’.

‘After being defrosted, the nematodes showed signs of life,’ said a report today from Yakutia, the area where the worms were found.

‘They started moving and eating.’



Duvanny Yar and (in the middle) the nematodes. Pictures: Nikita Zimov, Doklady Biological Sciences/Pleiades Publishing

One worm came from an ancient squirrel burrow in a permafrost wall of the Duvanny Yar outcrop in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River - close to the site of Pleistocene Park which is seeking to recreate the Arctic habitat of the extinct woolly mammoth, according to the scientific article published in Doklady Biological Sciences this week.

This is around 32,000 years old.

Another was found in permafrost near Alazeya River in 2015, and is around 41,700 years old.

Currently the nematodes are the oldest living animals on the planet.

They are both believed to be female.

Duvanny Yar and Alazeya river marked on the map, Alazeya River, specialists of the Institite of Psycico-Chemical and Biological Problems and Soil Science in Moscow region

The worms came back to life in a laboratory at The Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science in Moscow region.

The scientists say: “Our data demonstrate the ability of multicellular organisms to survive long-term (tens of thousands of years) cryobiosis under the conditions of natural cryoconservation.

'It is obvious that this ability suggests that the Pleistocene nematodes have some adaptive mechanisms that may be of scientific and practical importance for the related fields of science, such as cryomedicine, cryobiology, and astrobiology.”

The Russian institutions involved in the pioneering research were: The Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science; Moscow State University; Pertsov White Sea Biological Station, part of Moscow State University; and the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.

The Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, was also involved.</s>BREAKTHROUGH: Two nematodes (roundworms) have been brought back from the dead

The ancient creatures are now the oldest living animals on the planet, scientists say.

After being found frozen in the Arctic permafrost for 42,000 years, the two nematodes – or roundworms – are now moving and eating again, for the first time in thousands of years.

A team of Russian scientists working with Princeton University defrosted over 300 prehistoric worms in what's been described as a major scientific breakthrough.

Two of the females have "showed signs of life", the team said.</s>A pair of nematodes – roundworms – are apparently alive after they were frozen in permafrost for nearly 42,000 years.

Russian scientists said the two prehistoric worms, out of a group of about 300, are moving and eating after they came back to life in a lab at the Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science in Moscow, the Siberian Times reported.

“After being defrosted, the nematodes showed signs of life,” a report from the Russian scientists said, according to the Siberian Times.

One of the worms was found near the Alazeya River in 2015 and is believed to be about 41,700 years old, according to the study published in the Doklady Biological Sciences. They were found about 11.5 feet underground.

The other worm was found in 2002 in a fossil rodent burrow near the Kolyma River. These samples were taken from about 100 feet underground.

The worms were found close to Pleistocene Park, the site of an experimental project to recreate the habitat of the extinct woolly mammoth, according to The Sun.

100 TAPEWORM EGGS FOUND INSIDE BRAIN OF 8 YEAR OLD WITH SEVERE HEADACHES, SEIZURES

“Our data demonstrate the ability of multicellular organisms to survive long-term (tens of thousands of years) cryobiosis under the conditions of natural cryoconservation,” a report provided to Fox News said.

“It is obvious that this ability suggests that the Pleistocene nematodes have some adaptive mechanisms that may be of scientific and practical importance for the related fields of science, such as cryomedicine, cryobiology, and astrobiology,” it continued.

Cryobiology is the study of living things at extremely low temperatures.

The worms were cultivated in Petri dishes at about 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit, for several weeks, the study said.

Scientists believe both worms are females, according to a report provided to Fox News.

Nematodes are known for their ability to sustain long periods of time in unfavorable conditions, including in extremely low temperatures, the report said.

They are the oldest living animals currently on the planet, the Siberian Times reported.

The research was conducted by teams from multiple Russian institutions as well as Princeton University in New Jersey.</s>What if you could freeze yourself for a hundred years and then wake back up in the future? Would you do it? How about 1,000 years? Or 10,000? Some very tiny worms in Russia just arrived from an ice-cold time machine after being frozen roughly 40,000 years ago. They’re alive, they’re moving and eating, and they’re now they’re thought to be the oldest living organisms on the entire planet.

The two tiny nematodes (also called roundworms) were discovered in ancient permafrost in two areas of Russia’s frigid north. Scientists from Russia, in partnership with Princeton University, estimate the worms to be around 32,000 and 42,000 years old, which would make them the oldest known living organisms on Earth.

The worms were found in permafrost samples taken from the ground, one was found on the inside of an ancient squirrel burrow while the other was discovered near a river. The permafrost samples were kept in storage before being slowly thawed, and once the temperature was warm enough for the worms to handle, they sprung back to life.

According to the recently-published research, the tiny creatures have shown signs of life, including movement and even eating. Their longterm stasis doesn’t seem to have hindered them much, if at all, and the worms might even hold some clues that could help scientists develop new breakthroughs in cryonics.

The worms are obviously very old, coming from what scientists call the Pleistocene era which spanned from approximately 2.6 million years ago to just 12,000 years ago. It’s the time period that most people refer to as the “Ice Age,” and in their original time period these small creatures shared the Earth with some of the earliest humans.

This is obviously an incredible scientific breakthrough, and there’s likely much these worms can teach us about how life can persist over thousands and thousands of years while being completely frozen. Some astronomers believe that organisms could be transported between planets on asteroids while remaining frozen for the length of their trip through space, only thawing once they come crashing down on an alien world. It’s one of many theories about how life spreads throughout the universe, and it seems like these nematodes would be prime candidates.</s>What else lies under Siberia's freezing landscape? Scientists recently revived two sets of worms from the ancient permafrost, making these nematodes the oldest living creatures on Earth at 42,000 years old. (Photo : Сергей Ремизов | Pixabay)

Scientists have brought the "dead" back to life in a groundbreaking study that saw Siberian roundworms survive 42,000 years of being frozen.

Cryogenics have long been the subject of science fiction, but new research proves that it could be part of the future. A pair of nematodes withstood thousands and thousands of years in the permafrost, waking up to an entirely new world in 2018.

In the study published in the journal Doklady Biological Sciences, Russian scientists, in collaboration with Princeton University, reveal that their research is the first to demonstrate the capability of multi-cellular organisms to withstand long-term cryobiosis.

According to Siberian Times, around 300 samples of permafrost were collected from two sites in Siberia. Amazingly, two of the samples contain nematodes that sprung back to life after being defrosted.

The surviving nematodes — all female — are now the oldest living creatures on Earth, having lived way back in the Pleistocene epoch. Even more impressively, the pair are actually moving around on the Petri dishes and even eating.

The first sample was from an ancient squirrel burrow by the Kolyma River and estimated to be 32,000 years old, while the other was collected near the Alazeya River and determined to be around 41,700 years old, give or take 1,400 years.

Scientists point out that the ground in these regions only thaw up to 2.6 feet every year, and the last time it thawed over 4.9 feet was about 100,000 years ago, IFLScience reports. Thus, the newly discovered nematodes do not represent modern nematodes that may have seeped into the permafrost.

"Our data demonstrate the ability of multicellular organisms to survive long-term (tens of thousands of years) cryobiosis under the conditions of natural cryoconservation," scientists wrote in the paper, according to Siberian Times. "It is obvious that this ability suggests that the Pleistocene nematodes have some adaptive mechanisms that may be of scientific and practical importance for the related fields of science, such as cryomedicine, cryobiology, and astrobiology."

To be fair, nematodes or roundworms have long been hailed as a beast in survival. According to IFLScience, the phylum is known for its capabilities to withstand extreme conditions.

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences back in February 2002 reveal that these creatures have developed the ability of cryoprotective dehydration, which is the process of expelling water from their cells when temperatures drop to freezing. With this adaptation, there's no water left to freeze, expand, and destroy the cells.</s>Nematodes moving and eating again for the first time since the Pleistocene age in major scientific breakthrough, say experts.The roundworms from two areas of Siberia came back to life in Petri dishes, says a new scientific study.'We have obtained the first data demonstrating the capability of multicellular organisms for longterm cryobiosis in permafrost deposits of the Arctic,' states a report from Russian scientists from four institutions in collaboration with Princetown University.Some 300 prehistoric worms were analysed - and two 'were shown to contain viable nematodes'.One worm came from an ancient squirrel burrow in a permafrost wall of the Duvanny Yar outcrop in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River - close to the site of Pleistocene Park which is seeking to recreate the Arctic habitat of the extinct woolly mammoth, according to the scientific article published in Doklady Biological Sciences this week.This is around 32,000 years old.They are both believed to be female.The worms came back to life in a laboratory at The Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science in Moscow region.The scientists say: "Our data demonstrate the ability of multicellular organisms to survive long-term (tens of thousands of years) cryobiosis under the conditions of natural cryoconservation.The Russian institutions involved in the pioneering research were: The Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science; Moscow State University; Pertsov White Sea Biological Station, part of Moscow State University; and the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.The Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, was also involved.</s>Finding well-preserved ancient animals in thawing permafrost isn't all that uncommon in Siberia. For instance, woolly mammoths, woolly rhinos, and cave lions have been found remarkably intact, as if frozen in time. But when those woolly mammoths thaw, they don't start walking around.

So you might imagine the surprise of scientists when a pair of ancient nematode worms suddenly started wiggling around shortly after being thawed from Siberian permafrost that had been frozen for tens of thousands of years.

"After being defrosted, the nematodes showed signs of life," said a report that was later detailed in the Siberian Times. "They started moving and eating."

One would imagine that they'd be hungry after not having eaten since the Pleistocene Age.

Scientists at a laboratory at the Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science in Moscow were examining samples of permafrost containing prehistoric worms when the resurrections occurred. Of the 300 or so worms examined in the study, only two were revived. Still, it's an extraordinary event. One of the worms was found in permafrost dated at around 32,000 years, while the other was thawed from 42,000 year old frozen soil.

Needless to say, the moment these worms started wiggling, they became the oldest known live animals on Earth. The last time they squirmed through the soil, it could have been beneath the footsteps of a woolly mammoth.

"It is obvious that this ability suggests that the Pleistocene nematodes have some adaptive mechanisms that may be of scientific and practical importance for the related fields of science, such as cryomedicine, cryobiology, and astrobiology,” the report speculated.

It's the first time that multicellular creatures of any kind have been shown capable of surviving such long periods of time frozen in suspended animation. Studying the mechanisms that allowed these worms to survive could alter many of our theories about the kinds of worlds where extraterrestrial life might exist. We might even make breakthroughs in cryogenics.

At the very least, the finding is a chilling reminder that as global warming sets in and permafrost melts, these worms may not come alone. Who knows what other strange critters might come crawling out of the thaw.</s>The ancient roundworms - frozen since the era of woolly mammoths - started wriggling again in Petri dishes at a Russian institute in a breakthrough which has major implications for cryomedicine and astrobiology, say experts. A Russian team working with geoscientists from Princeton University in the US succeeded in coaxing the frozen worms back to life. “We have obtained the first data demonstrating the capability of multicellular organisms for longterm cryobiosis in permafrost deposits of the Arctic,” states their report. Some 300 prehistoric worms were analysed - and two ‘were shown to contain viable nematodes’.

“After being defrosted, the nematodes showed signs of life - they started moving and eating,” said another report on the findings cited by The Siberian Times. One of the worms was from a site near the Alazeya River, found in permafrost in 2015, and believed to be some 41,700 years old. The other was taken in 2002 from an prehistoric squirrel burrow in Duvanny Yar outcrop in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River, and is around 32,000 years old. This is close to the site of Pleistocene Park, an experimental project seeking to recreate the Arctic habitat of the extinct woolly mammoth.

Both sites are in Yakutia - the coldest region in Russia. The worms were coaxed back to life in Petri dishes in a laboratory at the Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science near Moscow. The breakthrough demonstrates “the ability of multicellular organisms to survive long-term - tens of thousands of years” in a state of “natural cryoconservation”, said the scientists in a new report in Doklady Biological Sciences. “It is obvious that this ability suggests that the Pleistocene nematodes have some adaptive mechanisms that may be of scientific and practical importance for the related fields of science, such as cryomedicine, cryobiology, and astrobiology.”</s>A study has managed to bring two worms that had been frozen for thousands of years in permafrost back to life.

According to a new study, ancient worms have been brought back to life after being preserved in permafrost for thousands of years.

The study was done in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow State University, the Higher School of Economics, and the Department of Geosciences at Princeton University. The researchers named in the study were A. V. Shatilovich, A. V. Tchesunov, T. V. Neretina, I. P. Grabarnik, S. V. Gubin, T. A. Vishnivetskaya, T. C. Onstott, and E. M. Rivkina. These researchers managed to bring ancient worms back to life in a laboratory at the Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science in the Moscow region, according to the Siberian Times.

Around 300 Siberian worms retrieved from permafrost were analyzed in a laboratory. From this group, two “were shown to contain viable nematodes.”

“After being defrosted, the nematodes showed signs of life, they started moving and eating,” it is reported.

The worms were identified as soil nematodes Panagrolaimus aff. detritophagus (Rhabditida) and Plectus aff. parvus (Plectida) in the study.

One worm, estimated to be 32,000-years-old, came from permafrost within an ancient squirrel burrow in the Duvanny Yar outcrop in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River. This location is not far from the site of Pleistocene Park, which is “seeking to recreate the Arctic habitat of the extinct woolly mammoth,” according to the Siberian Times.

The second reanimated worm was retrieved in 2015 and comes from the Alazeya River. It is estimated to be 41,700-years-old.

Both of these worms are believed to be female and came from the Yakutia region, which is considered the coldest area of Russia.

As a result of this study, scientific studies surrounding the likes of cryogenics will likely benefit from the breakthrough.

Of course, for those that are into apocalyptic and doomsday scenarios, this news is anything but good.

For many, the news of reanimated ancient worms was a reminder that The X Files had already been there and explored that. Of course, in that episode of The X Files, the worms turned out to parasitic terrors that drove their hosts to violent fits of rage.

However, for others, the thought of a worm being reanimated after such a long period of time pointed directly to the advent of the zombie apocalypse.

As for now, though, those worrying about this being the end times because some ancient worms have been reanimated will just have to wait and see if their fears are founded or not.</s>Two samples of frozen soil out of 300 drawn from the ground in Siberia “were shown to contain viable nematodes” which could move and eat.

Nemotodes are microscopic roundworms that can inhabit a broad range of environments, including deep below the Earth’s surface. The surviving prehistoric insects were drawn from ancient rodent burrows in the Duvanny Yar outcrop in northeast Siberia and from ice deposits near the Alazeya River in the Yakutia region. They were stored in petri dishes at -20 degrees Celsius in a lab before being ‘thawed’ over the course of several weeks.

The study appeared in the journal Doklady Biological Sciences. The report read: “We have obtained the first data demonstrating the capability of multicellular organisms for long-term cryobiosis (a dormant state induced by extreme environmental conditions) in permafrost deposits of the Arctic.

"It is obvious that this ability suggests that the Pleistocene nematodes have some adaptive mechanisms that may be of scientific and practical importance for the related fields of science, such as cryomedicine, cryobiology, and astrobiology."

The Pleistocene epoch saw multiple ice ages punctuated by warmer periods in between and lasted from about 2.6 million years ago until 11,700 years ago.

The research was conducted as part of a collaborative effort between Moscow State University, the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow Oblast, and Princeton University in New Jersey.
A team of Russian scientists in collaboration with Princeton University announce in a new report that they have brought two female nematodes frozen in permafrost from around 42,000 years ago back to life. The two nematodes are now the oldest confirmed living animals on the planet.