"The world's most indestructible species, the tardigrade, an eight-legged micro-animal, also known as the water bear, will survive until the Sun dies, according to a new Oxford University collaboration."
"The new study published in Scientific Reports, has shown that the tiny creatures, will survive the risk of extinction from all astrophysical catastrophes, and be around for at least 10 billion years – far longer than the human race."
CFA Press Release: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2017-21
- Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/what-it-would-take-kill-all-life-earth
- Physics: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-tardigrades-survivors-earth.html
- Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/07/14/these-animals-can-survive-until-the-end-of-the-earth-astrophysicists-say/?utm_term=.704e5deaf819
BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08x9gbn (Story begins at the 26 minute mark)
Image: The tardigrade is an eight-legged micro-animal that will survive until the Sun dies, long after humans are gone, according to new research from Oxford University and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
University of Oxford