Tardigrades: the most extreme survivors

Writer: Dr Anina Lee.

We are bombarded every day with media – emails, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, television and newsletters of all kinds. Those who want to attract our attention amid this cacophony of information have to use superlatives – extreme this, or extreme that – it appears that everything is now extreme.

But a genuinely extreme animal can be found all around us. It's just that they are so small we don't normally see them. I'm talking about tardigrades.

What are tardigrades?

Tardigrades (meaning 'slow steppers') are microscopic eight-legged animals that look a bit like miniature bears – hence the nickname 'water bears'. There are around 1 300 species of tardigrades worldwide. They are considered aquatic because they require a thin layer of water around their bodies to prevent dehydration.

Tardigrades have been found in all kinds of environments, from deep-sea trenches to mountain tops. Freshwater mosses and lichens are their preferred terrestrial habitat, hence their other nickname, 'moss piglet'.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 16)