Abstract
AbstractLiving in harsh and variable environments that are prone to periodic desiccation, tardigrades exhibit remarkable tolerance against physical extremes through a state known as anhydrobiosis. To study the effect of this state on the longevity and hence the lifecycle in the taxon Tardigrada for the first time, we exposed a tardigrade species, Milnesium tardigradum, to alternating periods of drying and active feeding periods in a hydrated state. Compared with a hydrated control, the periodically dried animals showed a similar longevity, indicating that the time spent in anhydrobiosis was ignored by the internal clock. Thus, desiccation can produce a time shift in the age of tardigrades similar to the model described for rotifers that has been termed ‘Sleeping Beauty’.
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