The Incredible Tardigrade

Tardigrades, often referred to as water bears or moss piglets, are fascinating tiny creatures that belong to a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. They measure only 0.1 mm to 1.2 mm in length.

These resilient organisms thrive in aquatic environments, favoring freshwater mosses and lichens, but they can also inhabit diverse settings, including the deep sea and sandy dunes. Tardigrades can withstand extreme conditions, such as extreme cold, boiling liquids, high levels of radiation, and extreme pressure. Tardigrades have an incredible ability to enter a state known as cryptobiosis, allowing them to pause their metabolism and survive for over 30 years.

Tardigrades primarily consume fluids from living cells, though they will occasionally feast on other minute creatures. Tardigrades reproduce by laying eggs through a process called oviparity, with fertilization typically occurring outside the body.

Tardigrades: Fact or Fiction?

Tardigrades are fascinating and tough little creatures that could outlive humanity. They have survived all five mass extinction events and are thought to be able to survive future ones caused by gamma-ray bursts or large meteorite impacts.