Tiny Survivors in Ice: North America's Hidden Rotifers

North America has a new tiny resident. It's a bdelloid rotifer, a type of microscopic animal that loves cold. They are common in water all over the world. They have even been found in ice in the north and south poles. But until now, no one had found them in North American ice. Scientists thought that maybe ice worms, another creature that lives in ice, was eating all the rotifers. But this new finding shows that both can live together in some icy places. The rotifer was found on Mount Deception in Washington state. Scientists looked at its DNA and found it was related to rotifers from Nordic countries and even Antarctica and New Zealand. This suggests that the rotifers might have come to North America a long time ago, around 2. 58 million years ago. But because they are so tough and can survive extreme conditions, they might have also traveled across oceans many times. These rotifers are amazing survivors. They can handle freezing and thawing, and they can even reproduce in very hot conditions. This makes scientists think they might have come to North America in many different ways over time.