The unique fossil, 16 million years old, of the tardigrade – ”water bear” – could help decode the incredible survival abilities of this species through Earth’s mass extinction periods.
Finding a fossil of a microorganism seemed impossible, but a piece of amber discovered in Dominica has become a priceless treasure, preserving the body of an unknown tardigrade species. This organism has been named Paradoryphoribius chronocaribbeus, a member of the modern tardigrade superfamily (Isohypsibioidea).
Close-up of the amber containing the precious fossil – (Photo: Holly Sullivan/Harvard/NJIT).
According to Science Alert, biologist Phil Barden from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (USA), a member of the research team, stated: ”Tardigrades are an ancient lineage found all over the world, from the rise of terrestrial plants to the extinction of the dinosaurs. However, they are like a ghost lineage to paleontologists because there is almost no fossil record.”
Pathologist Marc Mapalo from Harvard University (USA) noted that modern observation technology shows this new species has a unique arrangement of anterior bristles, differing from modern tardigrades. This organism is believed to have emerged after the dinosaur mass extinction 66 million years ago. Prior to this, only two older species have been described: Milnesium swolenskyi (90 million years old) and Beorn leggi (72 million years old), but none have been as perfectly preserved as this one.
Ancient water bear – (Photo: Holly Sullivan/Harvard/NJIT)
According to National Geographic, tardigrades are extremophiles, with some species capable of surviving up to 30 years without food. They are found in unimaginable living conditions: in the freezing polar regions, in near-boiling environments at volcanic vents, in some of the most deadly, lifeless places on Earth…
Tardigrades are also of interest to the astronomy and planetary science community. The hypothesis regarding the Israeli spacecraft crash, which may have released tardigrades on the Moon, remains controversial, with many believing they could still be thriving there, as experiments have shown tardigrades remain resilient in space environments! Renowned geneticist Chris Mason from Weill Cornell University (USA) has even proposed the idea of integrating the DNA of this immortal organism into humans, potentially enabling future astronauts to withstand the extreme conditions of space.
