Il muschio può tornare a vivere anche dopo 1'500 anni di congelamento. La scoperta è stata fatta da un gruppo di ricercatori inglesi coordinati da Peter Convey della British Antarctic Survey e pubblicata sulla rivista Current Biology.
La pianta era stata trovata nel permafrost, ossia nel terreno perennemente ghiacciato, dell’Antartide, sezionato e messo in un’incubatrice dove la temperatura è stata alzata poco a poco fino a quando non ha germogliato.
È la prima volta che nelle regioni polari viene rinvenuto muschio così datato. Finora una sopravvivenza così lunga in ambienti estremi era stata constatata solo nei batteri.
ATS/fg
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