18/10/2025
Russian scientists revived a flower that went extinct 32,000 years ago using seeds preserved in Siberian permafrost. The seeds were discovered in the burrow of an Ice Age squirrel near the Kolyma River. The plant, Silene stenophylla, once bloomed during the late Pleistocene period. Scientists from the Institute of Cell Biophysics successfully regenerated the species, marking the oldest known plant revival in history. This breakthrough helps researchers better understand long-term biological preservation and the survival potential of ancient organisms in frozen environments. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate how permafrost can serve as a natural time capsule.