A photo from open sources
At the beginning of this millennium in the Russian reserve Duvan Yar (Nizhnekolymsky district of Yakutia) frozen samples were collected soil, which was then sent to Moscow for research. In many samples revealed frozen soil nematodes whose age scientists estimated at 40-42 thousand years. Now the capital the researchers made a potentially sensational discovery because managed to unfreeze the ancient roundworms.
A photo from open sources
It is reported that the primary ones that have come to life in the Petri dish are completely function: they are actively moving and looking for food. Specialists they became interested in why the nematodes did not mate, and found that in Permafrost turned out to be exclusively females. Apparently, they are capable of parthenogenesis (the so-called “virgin reproduction “), because it is possible that the worms found in Yakutia will soon be able to give offspring.
Of course, the most surprising thing in this situation is the ability of rather complex organisms to wake up and start to function fully after tens of thousands of years. Quite it is likely that thawed primitives are the oldest inhabitants of the planet, not counting bacteria, which they are much more difficult. Of course, the resistance of worms to subzero temperatures did not come as a surprise to scientists, however so impressive results, given the age of the worms, domestic experts are clearly they did not expect.
The experiment is considered extremely important, as he can tell scientists how to freeze and return to people’s lives. Such knowledge can be useful to humanity, to for example, for the colonization of distant planets. If the spaceship will fly to another star system for many decades or even centuries, the crew and passengers will need to be frozen (remember any science fiction film of a space theme). Also not forget about the cryogenic freezing of those people who suffer from now incurable diseases and hope that the technology of the future will be able to revive them and relieve ailments.
As you might guess, the discovery of Russian scientists has already managed cause criticism. According to skeptics, such a find has the “dark side”, but it is that biologists themselves unwillingly, they could awaken pathogenic microbes from hibernation, that existed in the time of Neanderthals and mammoths. These organisms can be fatal to humans themselves by themselves, and also harm the modern ecosystem in which they no longer fit. Researchers in response to this claim that during their experiments took all necessary measures precautions, but because the fears of such a plan completely baseless.
Yakutia
