An unknown number of Springtail/Collembola species have survived nearly 16 million years on this planet. From freezing temperatures to volcanoes, Springtails will be found thriving. Their ability to adapt to glacial environments, and to heat harden to protect themselves from extreme temperatures makes them nearly impossible to eradicate. And, with 1/3 of the species of organisms thriving in the soil throughout the world being Springtails, what is the future for the remainder of Earth's creatures? Although merely three to four centimeters in size when fully grown, these tiny hexapods may win the war yet.

As they have existed in some of the most extreme climatic regions of the world - the artic being one, and as global warming continues to melt the iciest regions of our planet, these tiny vermin, which make the most of opportunistic situations, hitchhiking on the wings of insects, floating about on ocean currents, and most likely, the breeze, will ultimately have the upper hand - IF THEY DON'T ALREADY.

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Science News

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Extreme Survival: Genes Let Creepy-Crawly Creatures Survive Deep Freeze

July 21, 2009 — Arctic springtails (Megaphorura arctica) survive freezing temperatures by dehydrating themselves before the coldest weather sets in. Researchers have now identified a suite of genes involved in controlling this extreme survival mechanism.

Melody Clark led a team of researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Novi-Sad, Serbia, who studied the arthropods. She said, "This is the first in-depth molecular study on the underlying cold survival mechanisms in this species. Such information is not only of interest to ecologists, but also to the medical field of cryobiology."

Arctic springtails desiccate themselves in order to survive the worst of polar ice, snow and low temperatures, which can easily reach -14°C. They shrivel up into small husks until, when conditions become more favorable, they rehydrate themselves and re-emerge. This is the first study to identify the genetic basis for this physiological process. To generate the cold-induced gene expression profile of springtails, Clark and her colleagues compared gene expression in groups of the animals exposed to different environmental conditions.

They showed that genes involved in a number of significant cellular processes, namely the production and mobilisation of a natural anti-freeze called trehalose, protection of cellular systems via small heat shock proteins and tissue/cellular remodeling, were activated during the cold-induced dehydration process. Genes that dominated when the animals were allowed to recover at a higher temperature, were those involved in energy production, leading to protein production and cell division.

Speaking about possible implications of this research, Clark said, "This is part of a larger European project called Sleeping Beauty, which is looking at how different animals survive desiccation. Understanding how animals survive harsh cold environments will hopefully provide novel solutions for medical research and preserving tissues for transplant operations".

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From PlanetSave:

Amber Fossil Shows A Springtail Hitchhiking On The Wing Of A Mayfly, A Never Before Seen Behavior

An amber fossil of a mayfly with a wingless arthropod called a springtail hitchhiking on its wings has just been discovered. This 16-million-year-old amber fossil shows a behavior that has almost never been seen, in living or extinct springtails.

This is the first research to show that springtails travelled on the wings of flying insects like mayflies, and is only the second time this behavior has been observed by researchers.

Springtails are very common throughout the world, nearly any handful of soil you pick up is going to contain large numbers of them. Researchers have found evidence to suggest that they may expand their territory by using ocean currents or by traveling directly on the wind, but modern springtails have never been observed using another insect as a form of transportation. There has only ever been one other fossil discovered to suggest that they used this behavior (on a harvestman).

In addition, mayflies themselves have never been observed transporting other insects. They only fly for a few hours or a few days in their entire lives, making this find stand out even more.
The researchers say that this is the first and only scientific observation of such a behavior occurring between a hitchhiking organism and an adult mayfly. And also the first time that springtails have been observed getting rides on any flying insects. A truly unique find.
Primary author of the study, David Penney of the University of Manchester, says, “This is a truly remarkable specimen. It highlights the potential for such fossils which provide snapshots of behaviours ‘frozen in time’ to provide clues to ecological associations occurring right under our noses today, but which may have gone unnoticed to date.”

The new research was just published October 17th in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
Source: University of Manchester
Image Credits: Dr Dave Penney, The University of Manchester