Even Tardigrades Will Feel the Heat of Climate Change

[Judi Lynn]

Hardy tardigrades are much more vulnerable to heat than cold, but they show some signs that they could adapt over time.

By Kimberly M. S. Cartier 21 January 2020

The microscopic water bears that can survive desiccation, extreme cold, and even trips to the Moon have a key weakness: heat. A recent study tested the survivability of a tardigrade species at elevated temperatures over an extended period. The team found that the lethal temperature for active tardigrades is only 1.2°C hotter than the maximum recorded temperature where the samples were taken.

“We can conclude that active tardigrades are vulnerable to high temperatures, though it seems that these critters would be able to acclimatize to increasing temperatures in their natural habitat,” lead author Ricardo Neves said in a statement. Neves is a postdoctoral researcher in cell biology and physiology at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

When given time to adjust, the active tardigrades could withstand slightly higher temperatures for the experimental time frame. Desiccated tardigrades—inactive from being dehydrated—could withstand significantly higher temperatures for a longer time.

Tardigrades Can’t Stand the Heat

This is not the first study to test the upper limits of tardigrades’ heat tolerance, but it is the first to test the animal’s resilience for an hour or longer, the team said. The researchers gathered samples of Ramazzottius varieornatus, a tardigrade species typically found in temporary freshwater habitats, from a roof gutter in Nivå, Denmark.

More:
https://eos.org/articles/even-tardigrades-will-feel-the-heat-of-climate-change

~ ~ ~



Ramazzottius varieornatus



Ramazzottius varieornatus (Yokozuna) XL size: 50cm Water bear / Tardigrade
$58.03 (¥ 6,380)*

https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/love-journey/item/7625/

Get your own snuggly tardigrade!

[5X]

1. Save the Tardigrades!

Once we kill off everything else on the planet, if we could leave a few of these behind,
they can evolve and repopulate the planet.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Duppers]

2. I was thinking about this very thing just yesterday.

So, thanks for the thread.