Scientists revive ancient 24,000-year-old ‘zombie worm’ from Arctic ice — then it reproduced

Scientists have successfully revived a 24,000-year-old microscopic organism from Siberian permafrost, offering new insight into how life can endure extreme conditions over vast stretches of time.

According to a study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers identified the organism as a rotifer — a tiny, multicellular animal often found in freshwater environments and known for its unusual durability.

The specimen had been frozen deep within Siberian permafrost since the Late Pleistocene, a period that ended roughly 11,700 years ago. Scientists say the surrounding ice-rich soil, known as the Yedoma formation, helped preserve the organism in a stable, frozen state for tens of thousands of years.

After carefully thawing the rotifer under controlled laboratory conditions, researchers observed that it resumed normal biological functions. The organism not only became active again but was also able to reproduce asexually, suggesting that its cellular structures remained intact despite the passage of millennia.

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"Our report is the hardest proof as of today that multicellular animals could withstand tens of thousands of years in cryptobiosis, the state of almost completely arrested metabolism," lead researcher Stas Malavin said in an interview with the Indian Defence Review.

The process that allowed the rotifer to survive is known as cryptobiosis, a biological state in which metabolic activity slows to nearly zero. This enables certain organisms to withstand extreme environments, including freezing temperatures, dehydration and lack of oxygen.

While scientists have previously revived organisms from ice, those examples have typically involved single-celled life forms or simpler structures. The successful revival of a multicellular organism marks a significant step forward, as more complex bodies present greater challenges when it comes to surviving freezing and thawing without damage.

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Ancient microbes, including viruses, have also been preserved in permafrost and are typically easier to revive because of their simpler structure. In some experiments, scientists have reactivated viruses that remained capable of infecting host cells after thawing, though none have been linked to human illness.

Researchers say the findings underscore a separate concern: as rising global temperatures accelerate permafrost thaw, long-dormant microbes could be released outside controlled lab conditions, prompting new questions about potential environmental and health risks.

Rotifers, though microscopic, possess specialized systems such as digestive tracts and rudimentary nervous structures, making their long-term survival in a frozen state particularly notable.

Researchers say the findings could have broader implications for science, including studies on how cells resist damage from ice crystals and radiation over time. The discovery may also inform fields such as biotechnology and astrobiology, where scientists explore how life might persist in extreme or extraterrestrial environments.

Despite the breakthrough, experts caution that the findings do not suggest that larger organisms — such as mammals — could be revived after similar periods of freezing. The complexity of higher life forms makes them far more vulnerable to cellular damage during freezing and thawing processes.

Still, the study expands current understanding of the limits of life on Earth and raises new questions about how long organisms can remain viable under the right conditions, potentially reshaping scientific thinking about survival in extreme environments.