46,000-year-old worms squirm back to life after thawing from Siberian permafrost

Genome analysis of roundworms (nematode) frozen for 46,000 years that came back to life when they thawed out of Siberian permafrost in 2018, found the ancient organisms to be a new species.

Dr. Philipp Schiffer from the University of Cologne did not see any immediate danger that defrosted Pleistocene-era worms could harbour dangerous pathogens.

"It's something that's possible. And with COVID, we all saw what can happen very suddenly. But I wouldn't say there's imminent danger of these forms bringing some bacteria that suddenly start killing humans," he said.

He also said that studying these Ice Age worms could one day inform conservation efforts as the earth experiences extreme weather changes.

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