At a Glance
- Scientists revived ancient algae from Baltic Sea sediments up to 6,871 years old, offering a rare glimpse into how organisms can survive millennia of environmental change through dormancy.
- The algae, Skeletonema marinoi, resumed normal growth and photosynthesis upon revival, showing stable biological functions and distinct genetic traits that evolved over thousands of years.
- This work in resurrection ecology enables direct observation of ancient life forms, helping scientists study evolutionary responses to environmental changes without relying solely on fossils or DNA remnants.
- The study emphasizes dormancy as a survival mechanism, marking one of the oldest successful revivals of a dormant organism and shedding light on long-term biological resilience.
- Researchers aim to expose revived algae to various conditions to understand better ancient adaptation strategies and how organisms may respond to future climate shifts.
Scientists have successfully revived algae that had been dormant for thousands of years, providing valuable insights into how life can survive prolonged periods of environmental change. The study, led by researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, used sediment cores taken from the Baltic Sea to revive a species of diatom called Skeletonema marinoi. These algae had been dormant in the sediment for up to 6,871 years before being brought back to life in the lab. The successful revival, whose findings were published in the ISME Journal, is part of a new field of research called “resurrection ecology,” which explores how ancient life can be revived to study its behavior and genetics.
The researchers found that even after thousands of years, the revived algae showed no signs of losing their ability to grow and photosynthesize. The algae from the oldest sediment layers grew at a rate similar to modern-day strains, and they were able to produce oxygen just like their contemporary counterparts. This suggests that the algae’s biological functions, such as growth and energy production, remained stable over millennia. The team’s study also found that the algae from different periods had distinct genetic profiles, showing how the species had evolved.
This breakthrough is significant because it allows scientists to study life from different periods in Earth’s history without relying on fossils or DNA traces alone. Researchers can directly observe changes in genetic traits and physiological functions by reviving living organisms. This technique opens up new possibilities for understanding how species have adapted to environmental changes over long periods.
The study also highlights the survival strategy of dormancy, where organisms enter a state of rest to withstand unfavorable conditions. While this is known in other species like plants and small crustaceans, this is one of the oldest examples of a dormant organism successfully revived from sediment. The researchers plan to continue their work by testing the revived algae under different conditions to learn how they have adapted to climate changes for thousands of years.
References
- Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde. (2025, March 28). After 7,000 years without light and oxygen in Baltic Sea mud, researchers bring prehistoric algae back to life. Phys.Org; Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-years-oxygen-baltic-sea-mud.html
- Bolius, S., Schmidt, A., Kaiser, J., Arz, H. W., Dellwig, O., Karsten, U., Epp, L. S., & Kremp, A. (2025). Resurrection of a diatom after 7000 years from anoxic Baltic Sea sediment. The ISME Journal, 19(1), wrae252. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrae252
