Tardigrade: 16 million-year-old fossil found stuck in ancient amber
- Published
The amber fossil was found in the Dominican Republic and dates to the Miocene period, which was around 5 to 23 million years ago
Scientists have discovered a new species of tardigrade almost perfectly preserved in 16-million-year-old amber.
The amber was in such good condition that scientists have been able to look inside it and study the new type of tardigrade for the first time.
It's incredibly rare to find a tardigrade fossil - only three have been found so far, including this one!
Phil Barden, one of the scientists involved in the study, said: "The discovery of a fossil tardigrade is truly a once-in-a-generation event."
Tardigrades get their nicknames as water bears because they are found in water, and you guessed it, they look like tiny bears!
What is a tardigrade?
Sometimes called a water bear, the tardigrade is a tiny animal.
It measures only a millimetre or less, which means they are so small they can't be seen without a microscope.
However, it's believed to be the toughest creature on Earth. Tardigrades can survive radiation, freezing and extreme dehydration.
They can often be found in moss or ponds, and they change their bodies to survive in different conditions.
If it's too dry, the clever creatures produce proteins to replace the water that they're missing.
This means they can survive without water for years!
You can see here just how small the tardigrade is compared to the ants that are also trapped in the amber!
How was the tardigrade discovered?
Scientists were studying ants trapped in the ancient piece of amber, when they noticed something different.
Phil Barden said: "At first I thought it was an artefact in the amber - a crack or fissure that just happened to look a lot like a tardigrade."
It was only when the scientists saw the tardigrade's tiny claws that they realised what it was.
Marc Mapalo, another scientist involved in the discovery, said: "It was more luck that they saw it… because it's not something they are looking for."
The tardigrade was so different from other known specimens, the scientists realised it was a new species and named it Paradoryphoribius chronocaribbeus.
Mapalo hopes the find will encourage other researchers to take care when studying amber, but it's a tricky challenge!
"You could spend the rest of your life screening through amber and never find one," Barden said. He considers the discovery to be "enough tardigrade luck for one career."
What do you think of this amazing tardigrade? Let us know in the comments.
- Published5 October 2021
- Published13 September 2021
