In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway have identified the comb jellyfish (Mnemiopsis leidyi), a ctenophore species, as a potential candidate for biological immortality.
According to the New York Post, the comb jellyfish has now joined the ranks of its cousin, the renowned immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii), thanks to its newly discovered biological trait.
While studying these creatures, the scientists at the university encountered a larval ctenophore in a tank that was expected to contain a mature jellyfish.
This unexpected finding, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, raises intriguing questions about the capabilities of other animals to reverse the ageing process.
“The work challenges our understanding of early animal development and body plans, opening new avenues for the study of life cycle plasticity and rejuvenation,” said Joan J Soto-Angel, study co-author, in a statement per Phys.org.
“The fact that we have found a new species that uses this peculiar ‘time-travel machine’ raises fascinating questions about how spread this capacity is across the animal tree of life.”
Soto-Angel and her team ran experiments in an attempt to recreate the circumstances that led the comb jellyfish to revert to its infancy, identifying extreme stress as the trigger.
Previous research suggests that comb jellyfish may have been the first animal species to appear on Earth 700 million years ago, and may indeed owe its longevity to their ability to reverse growth and development.
“This is a very exciting time for us,” said Paul Burkhardt, who co-wrote the study. “This fascinating finding will open the door for many important discoveries. It will be interesting to reveal the molecular mechanism driving reverse development, and what happens to the animal’s nerve net during this process.”
In the future, similar findings could lead scientists to understand how humans, too, might harness the ageing process.