Forget cockroaches — these little guys will live until the sun begins to die Microscopic 'water bears' likely to survive another billion years

From CBC

It's often believed that cockroaches — nature's ultimate survivalist — will live until the end of time. But new research suggests they've met their match in the tardigrade.

This tiny creature will likely be the last one standing after all other complex life on Earth is gone, says a study published in Scientific Reports.

In fact, it says tardigrades will be around for at least another billion years — likely a lot longer than humans.

Also known as "water bears," tardigrades are eight-legged microscopic animals believed to have been on Earth for about 500 million years. They live under water and only grow to about 0.55 millimetres.

Tardigrades may be small, but they are mighty: they're considered the most resilient form of life on our planet. They can live up to 30 years without water; survive in the extremes, such as in the vacuum of space or in the farthest depths of our oceans; and they have a lifespan of about 60 years.

Devastation from above

With the discovery of exoplanets orbiting sun-like stars, the research team of astrophysicists and a cosmologist wanted to see what it would take for life to exist in such conditions.

"We wanted to say what was the type of creature that could survive the most extreme conditions on Earth and use that as a benchmark to see what could survive elsewhere," said co-author and cosmologist David Sloan, from the University of Oxford.

So using Earth, they looked at some of the toughest creatures on our planet. Enter the tardigrade.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/forget-cockroaches-tardigrades-will-live-forever-1.4203010

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