Animals Revived After Being Frozen Over 30 Years

Animals Revived after Being in a Frozen State for over 30 Years

Microscopic tardigrades, also known as 'water bears,' were successfully revived and reproduced after being frozen for over 30 years.

Science Daily | February 16, 2016

Summary: Tardigrades (water bears) were successfully revived and reproduced after having been frozen for over 30 years. A moss sample collected in Antarctica in Nov. 1983, stored at -20°C, was thawed in May 2014. Two individuals and a separate egg retrieved from the thawed sample were revived, thereby providing the longest record of survival for tardigrades as animals or eggs. Subsequently, one of the revived tardigrades and the hatchling repeatedly reproduced after recovering from their long-term cryptobiosis.

A Water Bear or Tardigrade in high resolution. Source: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1303/tardigrade_eyeofscience_1024.jpg

<more at https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160216104552.htm; related links: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tardigrade-survival-water-bears-frozen-antarctic-moss-30-years-successfully-revived-1544242 (Tardigrade survival: Water bears frozen in Antarctic moss for 30 years successfully revived. February 16, 2016) and http://tardigrades.bio.unc.edu/ (Tardigrades: Movies, Pictures, Links, Protocols and Publications)>