Animal of the Day: The indestructible Pudgy Wudgies aka Space Bears

aka water bears, aka Tardigrades.



Tardigrades, also known as water bears, space bears and pudgy wudgies, are microscopic animals capable of withstanding some of the most severe environmental conditions. Researchers from Japan have now created the most accurate picture yet of the tardigrade genome, revealing the neat tricks it uses to stay alive.

Their results show that tardigrades have evolved a unique arsenal of strategies to cope with stressful conditions, including a protein that protects its DNA from radiation damage.

Classified as “extremophiles,” they can survive freezing, total dehydration, radiation, and even the vacuum of space.

Earlier this year, scientists successfully revived a tardigrade that had been frozen solid for more than three decades—a new record for this durable species.



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