Sleeping chironomids
Animals that can exist without water tend to do well against radiation. This pattern is seen in multiple extremophiles, the official term for animals that can handle conditions that would be deadly to most organisms. One such extremophile is the sleeping chironomid fly, or Polypedilum vanderplanki. The fly’s larvae are laid in shallow pools in parts of semi-arid Africa and need to be able to survive even if their cribs dry up. In that desiccated state, research has shown that the flies can withstand other stressors—like gamma rays—with stupendous success. In fact, the larvae handle compounding stressors with ease once dehydrated. Let’s hope they don’t get any ambitions beyond their stress-ridden nurseries.
