2024-02-09 17:57:18
Par Tristan Vey
Published on 02/09/2024 at 6:43 p.m., Updated on 02/09/2024 at 6:57 p.m.
Appearing nearly 500 million years ago, tardigrades have colonized the entire earth, from the most hostile glaciers to the volcanic openings of the seabed. SPL / sciencephoto.fr
DECRYPTION – A laboratory in Montpellier is studying the biological mechanisms that make these creatures so resistant to external aggression.
Tardigrades are amazing little animals. Most often invisible to the naked eye – they measure between 0.2 and 1.2 mm depending on the species – yet they are everywhere. All you have to do is put a piece of moss, lichen or a bit of earth under a microscope to find tardigrades by the hundreds. There are currently 1400 species, but there are probably many more to discover. Also called “water bears” because of their somewhat plump physique and their large clawed paws, these small microscopic creatures have colonized the entire Earth, from the most hostile glaciers to the volcanic openings of the seabed. Their capacity for resistance seems limitless. Appearing nearly 500 million years ago, they survived the five major extinctions that have marked the history of life. They survive both extreme cold (up to -272°C) and infernal heat (up to 150°C), extreme pressures and the vacuum of space…
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#superpowers #tardigrade #microscopic #water #bear