Experiments: basic research on living systems, not technology.
Also: anabiosis, latent life, brine shrimp cysts, Artemia, permafrost nematodes
Some organisms can shut their metabolism down almost completely and come back to life later, sometimes after tens of thousands of years.
Only what the cited papers report.
Values as stated in the cited paper's abstract.
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Artemia cyst survival, 4 years anoxia | ≥60% | Clegg 1997 |
| Age of revived P. kolymaensis | ~46,000 years | Shatilovich 2023 |
| Age of regenerated Silene fruit tissue | 31,800 ± 300 years | Yashina 2012 |
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Clegg reviewed the adaptations behind desiccation tolerance in Artemia cysts, focusing on the critical role of the outer shell layer and on how dried cysts respond to high temperatures.
As reported in: Clegg (2005). Desiccation Tolerance in Encysted Embryos of the Animal Extremophile, Artemia. Integrative and Comparative Biology. doi:10.1093/icb/45.5.715
Abstract only
Keilin's Leeuwenhoek Lecture reviewed the history and concept of anabiosis, or latent life.
As reported in: Keilin (1959). The Leeuwenhoek Lecture - The problem of anabiosis or latent life: history and current concept. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B - Biological Sciences. doi:10.1098/rspb.1959.0013
Abstract only
Clegg found that at least 60% of encysted Artemia franciscana embryos survived 4 years of continuous anoxia when fully hydrated, with no measurable use of their stored carbohydrates, and argued their metabolism comes to a reversible standstill.
As reported in: Clegg (1997). Embryos of Artemia Franciscana Survive Four Years of Continuous Anoxia: The Case for Complete Metabolic Rate Depression. Journal of Experimental Biology. doi:10.1242/jeb.200.3.467
Abstract only
Shatilovich and colleagues isolated viable soil nematodes (Panagrolaimus and Plectus) from Pleistocene permafrost of the Kolyma River Lowland, in deposits 30,000 to 40,000 years old.
As reported in: Shatilovich, Tchesunov, Neretina et al. (2018). Viable Nematodes from Late Pleistocene Permafrost of the Kolyma River Lowland. Doklady Biological Sciences. doi:10.1134/S0012496618030079
Abstract only
Shatilovich and colleagues radiocarbon-dated revived Panagrolaimus nematodes to about 46,000 years, named them a new species, P. kolymaensis, and found their cryptobiosis toolkit partly shared with C. elegans dauer larvae.
Publisher update notice: correction
As reported in: Shatilovich, Gade, Pippel et al. (2023). A novel nematode species from the Siberian permafrost shares adaptive mechanisms for cryptobiotic survival with C. elegans dauer larva. PLOS Genetics. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1010798
Yashina and colleagues regenerated whole fertile Silene stenophylla plants from immature fruit tissue about 31,800 years old, preserved in Siberian permafrost; the plants flowered and set viable seeds.
As reported in: Yashina, Gubin, Maksimovich et al. (2012). Regeneration of whole fertile plants from 30,000-y-old fruit tissue buried in Siberian permafrost. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.1118386109