FfFfFfFF 58,133 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Microscopic eight-legged invertebrates that resemble squishy bears are among the toughest creatures on Earth, with the ability to survive decades without food, extreme temperatures and even in the vacuum of space. Fossils of the creatures are extremely rare, with only two being found in history — until now. In a new study published on Wednesday, researchers said they have discovered a 16-million-year-old fossil of a tardigrade, otherwise known as a water bear or moss piglet, in a piece of amber from the Dominican Republic. The creature is believed to be the best-imaged fossil tardigrade to date. Researchers were able to get a detailed look at the creature, seeing parts of its mouth and the needle-like claws that are 20 to 30 times finer than a human hair. Finding a tardigrade fossil is a once-in-a-generation event, said Phil Barden, in a statement put out by the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Source - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scientists-fossilized-tardigrade-water-bear-amber/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helxig 45,367 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Wow! They have been around that long?? That is so cool! I mean duh... of course they have, they can survive in almost any conditions, so I'd expect them to survive through most major extinction events. What a cool find. It must be so rare to find a fossil of something so microscopic I'll be myself until they fūcking close the coffin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsemanche 97,808 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 I'm a little confused about whether they're extinct or not but from what I understand, they still exist and their fossils are rare, right? Soft, soothing, and succulent Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFXIV WhiteMage 6,316 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 3 minutes ago, alsemanche said: I'm a little confused about whether they're extinct or not but from what I understand, they still exist and their fossils are rare, right? Yes the species still exist and they have been existing for millions of years. so to find a fossil of a millions of year old Tardigrade and compare them to the existing one is very interesting as they can have an insight about this species’ evolution. It’s like finding mammoth fossils and comparing it to the current Elephant species except Tardigrades are way way older. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsemanche 97,808 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 14 minutes ago, FFXIV WhiteMage said: Yes the species still exist and they have been existing for millions of years. so to find a fossil of a millions of year old Tardigrade and compare them to the existing one is very interesting as they can have an insight about this species’ evolution. It’s like finding mammoth fossils and comparing it to the current Elephant species except Tardigrades are way way older. That's really cool! Soft, soothing, and succulent Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTV 13,937 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 is it just me or those things look like... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingerella 3,170 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 7 minutes ago, Replay said: is it just me or those things look like... ****? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbage day 11,817 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 1 hour ago, Replay said: is it just me or those things look like... Like what? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketno10 2,136 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 I love nature. This is so fascinating omg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemo 4,410 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 4 hours ago, alsemanche said: I'm a little confused about whether they're extinct or not but from what I understand, they still exist and their fossils are rare, right? Tardigrades are still around. The exact species represented here is probably long extinct, but that's normal. Tardigrades are a phylum covering about 1300 species, which of course change over time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTV 13,937 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 50 minutes ago, Cookie Woman said: Like what? this 2 hours ago, Fingerella said: ****? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbage day 11,817 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 8 minutes ago, Replay said: this ****? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helxig 45,367 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 2 hours ago, Fingerella said: ****? 1 hour ago, Cookie Woman said: Like what? 28 minutes ago, Replay said: this The ideal body shape for women it's sad but true. These are the times we're living in Spoiler I'll be myself until they fūcking close the coffin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FfFfFfFF 58,133 Posted October 9, 2021 Author Share Posted October 9, 2021 On 10/8/2021 at 11:55 AM, alsemanche said: I'm a little confused about whether they're extinct or not but from what I understand, they still exist and their fossils are rare, right? Yes! I guess it's a combination of their size and ability to survive extreme conditions it seems. Tardigrades, also called water bears, can survive in extreme environments. They are short (0.05mm – 1.2mm in body length), plump, bilaterally symmetrical, segmented organisms. It is almost impossible to kill this bizarre microscopic animal. Therefore, it’s quite rare, or let’s say harder, to find one fossilized. Only two have ever been discovered and formally named — until now. https://www.techexplorist.com/scientists-discovered-16-million-year-old-tardigrade-fossil/41647/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bionic 50,111 Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 aren't these the guys who fly the ship in star trek discovery? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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