Water Bears

Water bears are a type of animal that is barely visible to the naked eye. Also known as Tardigrades, they are extremely hardy and have survived extremes in temperature, pressure and radiation. A European Space Agency (ESA) experiment has determined that Water Bears can also survive in the vacuum of space. They are the first animals known to survive in open space. The results of the experiment were published in the September 9, 2008 issue of Current Biology.^{1 2}

Fast Facts

1. Are extremophiles: Can withstand harsh environments³
2. Normally found on mosses²
3. Thousands of different species: Two species selected for ESA experiment⁴
4. Experiment conducted in September, 2007¹
5. Water bears exposed to space for 10 days¹
6. Most water bears died of radiation exposure but the ones that survived could still reproduce¹
7. Other space survivors include bacteria and mosses⁴

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Bacteria | Extremophiles | Evolution | Microbiology | Campylobacteriosis | Viruses | Animals

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