Scientists revive a 24,000-year-old frozen animal in Siberia

A rotifer seen under a microscope/ File: Michael Plewka

According to Indian defence review, scientists say this finding expands our understanding of survival mechanisms in extreme environments. As part of the research, the rotifer was found preserved in deep permafrost dating back to the Late Pleistocene and was carefully thawed under laboratory conditions.

The study shows that the organism survived thanks to a state known as cryptobiosis. In this state, metabolic processes slow down to nearly zero, allowing the organism to withstand otherwise lethal conditions. While similar behavior has previously been observed mainly in single-celled organisms, the fact that rotifers possess more complex internal structures makes this discovery particularly significant.

The study’s lead author, Stas Malavin, stated that the findings provide some of the strongest evidence to date that multicellular animals can endure tens of thousands of years in a state of nearly suspended metabolism.

Experts note that while this phenomenon cannot be directly applied to human cryopreservation, it may open new scientific directions in areas such as long-term space missions and the preservation of biological materials.