Scientists have resurrected a 46,000-year-old parasite.
The microscopic roundworm had been in deep sleep under frozen soil in Siberia.
The creatures tend to shut down their systems when they are in unfavourable conditions.
This means they won’t move or reproduce, and their metabolism stops.
Carbon analysis has revealed that the worms – also known as nematodes – came from a prehistoric era.
In 2018, researchers led by Anastasia Shatilovich found two of the worms in sub-zero temperatures in the soil.
They were then thawed and their bodily functions resumed.
It was previously determined that they could stay in their slumber for just 40 years.
However, the findings show that the wriggly creatures can stay inactive for tens of thousands of years.
The exciting discovery could pave the way for scientists to bring back other extinct species.
During an analysis, the research team discovered the worms were Panagrolaimus kolymaensis – a species that was previously thought to be extinct.
The scientists wrote in their paper: “Previously, we had shown that nematodes from the Siberian permafrost with morphologies consistent with the genera Panagrolaimus and Plectus could be reanimated thousands of years after they had been frozen.
“Several viable nematode individuals were found in two of the more than 300 studied samples of permafrost deposits spanning different ages and genesis.”
