Scientists revive 24,000-year-old organism from Siberian permafrost

Scientists have successfully revived a 24,000-year-old microscopic organism from the permafrost region of Siberia, offering new insights into how life can withstand extreme conditions over very long periods of time.

According to a study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers identified the organism as a rotifer, a small, multicellular animal commonly found in freshwater environments and known for its unusual endurance.

The sample had been frozen deep in the permafrost in Siberia since the Late Pleistocene epoch, which ended roughly 11,700 years ago. Scientists say the surrounding ice-rich soil, known as the Yedoma formation, helped preserve the organism in a stable, frozen state for tens of thousands of years.

After carefully thawing the rotifer under controlled laboratory conditions, the researchers observed that it returned to normal biological functions. Not only was the organism reactivated, but it was also able to reproduce asexually; This shows that their cellular structures remain intact even after thousands of years.

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“Our report is the most conclusive evidence to date that multicellular animals can survive cryptobiosis, a state in which metabolism is almost completely stopped, for tens of thousands of years,” lead researcher Stas Malavin said in an interview with the Indian Defense Review.

The process that enables the rotifer to survive is known as cryptobiosis, a biological state in which metabolic activity slows to almost zero. This allows some organisms to withstand extreme environments such as freezing temperatures, dehydration and lack of oxygen.

Although scientists have revived organisms from ice before, these samples usually involved single-celled life forms or simpler structures. The successful regeneration of a multicellular organism marks a significant step forward; because more complex bodies present greater difficulties in surviving freezing and thawing without harm.

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A 24,000-year-old rotifer dating back to the Late Pleistocene was recently discovered in Siberian permafrost. (Unknown)

Ancient microbes, including viruses, are also preserved in permafrost and are often easier to revive due to their simpler structure. In some experiments, scientists reactivated viruses that had the capacity to infect host cells after thawing, but none of these were linked to human diseases.

The researchers say the findings underscore a separate concern: As rising global temperatures accelerate the thaw of permafrost, long-dormant microbes could be released outside controlled laboratory conditions, raising new questions about potential environmental and health risks.

Although rotifers are microscopic, they have specialized systems such as digestive tracts and primitive nerve structures; This makes their long-term survival in the frozen state particularly remarkable.

The findings may have broader implications for science, including studies of how cells resist damage from ice crystals and radiation over time, the researchers say. The discovery could also inform fields such as biotechnology and astrobiology, where scientists investigate how life might persist in extreme or extraterrestrial environments.

The rotifer is a rare example of a multicellular organism revived from extreme conditions. (iStock)

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Despite this major advance, experts caution that the findings do not suggest that larger organisms such as mammals can be revived after similar periods of freezing. The complexity of higher life forms makes them much more vulnerable to cellular damage during freezing and thawing processes.

Still, the study expands current understanding of the limits of life on Earth and raises new questions about how long organisms can stay alive under the right conditions, potentially reshaping scientific thinking about survival in extreme environments.