worth noting a few things -

-- the worm was revived in 2018, the paper is new
-- we learned more about cryptobiosis (how things remain viable for so long) from it
-- an unrelated study in PLoS Computational Biology has warned that as permafrist warms, about 1% of the species that thaw & are released into our environment -NATURALLY & NOT BC OF SCIENTISTS - may be a 'black swan' event
-- i'm not super supportive of this type of research. but we prolly should learn whats in the thawing sht

It's not the worms that are concerning; it's the bacteria, fungi, and viruses that might be in the permafrost. We already know a lot of them can survive extended periods in extreme conditions. Guess we should hope the ones that emerge aren't human pathogens.

@Sheril

Who's afraid of #nematodes ⁉️

They are everywhere, salt, fresh, soil, polar, tropics, mountain tops to bottom of the sea (even to the Titanic level)

They outnumber all animals in both individual and species counts

They are 90% of all animals on the ocean floor

In the topsoil there are 60 billion for each human

There are 1 million per square meter and are 80% of all animals on earth

Have an important role in many ecosystems

Some #roundworms cause #Trichinosis 👹 YES, be afraid

It would also make a great post-credit scene.

After 3 hours of fighting against a microscopic enemy, an ancient civilization is finally able to lure the last infected victim into a tomb made ice.

46,000 years later...