What is a Tardigrade I hear you say? Some believe they could be extra-terrestrial simply due to their immense and strange attributes. They are eight-legged beings that measure in with an average of 1mm with the smallest critters a measly 0.05mm and the largest 1.2mm.
When it comes to climate requirements they have a huge range of livable temperatures from -328°F to 300°F, or -200°C to 149°C.
The tardigrade live in a plethora of environments from rain forests to mountain tops, but prefer the briny deep, living on lake bottoms hidden among mossy lumps. The name “Tardigrade” was given to this animal in 1776 and it actually derives from the Italian for Slow Stepper, or Tardigrada.
This suspended animation is impressive enough, but can you believe they’re capable of surviving supernovas? Not to mention, they can fight off the need to eat for an astounding 30 years through this process!
According to certain research, these wonderful creatures have a downside though – they can turn to cannibalizing their fellow Tardigrades if they need to, but usually live on algae and moss.
Over a period of 500 million years, these mini miracles have outlived five mass extinctions, and can in some cases essentially clone themselves by growing embryos inside eggs that have had zero fertilization from any other host other than themselves.
