Part 3/7:
The mystery of the species and evolutionary implications
Interestingly, scientists believe that these worms may belong to an unknown species—organisms not documented in existing classifications. Though the initial batch of revived worms only survived about a month under laboratory conditions, their activity was not entirely over. These worms reproduced rapidly, producing more than 100 generations since their reanimation.
This rapid reproductive capacity means that living descendants of these ancient worms are potentially wriggling around in the world today, a startling realization that our planet might still harbor creatures that haven't been seen in tens of thousands of years.