(Image: S.M. Eswarappa et al / Biology Letters)
Indian researchers have discovered a new species of tardigrades (Paramacrobiotus sp. BLR), whose representatives protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation by converting it into a fluorescent blue glow.
This allowed them to survive the effects of a sterilizing lamp during experiments. The same lamp is fatal not only to bacteria and worms, but also to other species of tardigrades.
The unusual adaptation likely makes it easier for the new species to survive in southern India, where hot sunny days are frequent. The findings were reported in an article published in Biology Letters.
The tiny invertebrate tardigrades (Tardigrada) are renowned for their ability to survive. At rest, they can tolerate extreme temperatures, ionizing and ultraviolet radiation, high pressure, and even the vacuum of space in low Earth orbit.
Sources: