‘Indestructible’ water bears likely to outlive us all – study

COCKROACHES and Rolling Stones axeman Keith Richards were once considered the two lifeforms most likely to survive global annihilation, but they are softies compared to a real survivor – the water bear.

It takes a lot to kill water bears, which have been launched into space, frozen and starved, yet still survived.

Scientists believe water bears will not only outlast humans, but will only be wiped out when the sun dies in 10 billion years.

A new study published in Scientific Reports said that the waterborne, eight-legged, micro-animals will survive destruction by all and any astrophysical catastrophes.

Water bears are known as tardigrades and grow to about half a millimetre. They are found worldwide in marine and fresh water ecosystems and semi-aquatic environments.

Water bears were first found in South Africa in 1907.

For catastrophes to effect tardigrades, scientists believe the world’s oceans would have to dry up.

Studies on tardigrades have discovered it can survive without food or water for 30 years, as well as extreme temperatures.

They have been been frozen in space and survived.

“Tardigrades are as close to indestructible as it gets on Earth, but it is possible that there are other resilient species examples elsewhere in the universe,” said Dr Rafael Alves Batista, co-author and post-doctoral research associate in the department of physics at Oxford University.

“If tardigrades are Earth’s most resilient species, who knows what else is out there?”

The research has suggested Mars could hold an alien form of water bear.