Tiny but tough: the tardigrades

Heat, cold, vacuum" the microscopic creatures, found recently in a lake in Antarctica, show remarkable resilience to a wide range of normally lethal physical conditions

Remains of the minuscule organisms known as tardigrades have been discovered in a subglacial Antarctic lake. The creatures, ranging in size from 0.1mm to 1.5mm, are often called water bears or moss piglets. The remains were found when scientists drilled a kilometre under the ice; previously, only microbes have been found in these extreme conditions.

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