Almost 1/6 Of Tardigrade DNA Is Foreign

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

Sinclair Stammers

Tardigrades are arguably some of the most awesome animals in the world. These microscopic organisms, sometimes called water bears or moss piglets, take living life on the edge to the extreme, capable of withstanding the harshest environments on the planet, and even outer space. Full of surprises, it turns out that a lot of their DNA – almost one-sixth – is not actually tardigrade in origin.