Life of Artemia under very high pressure

The experiment on the search for life under very high pressure done for small animal tardigrades has been extended to a plankton, Artemia. It was found that cysts, or dried eggs, of Anemia remain alive after being exposed to a very high hydrostatic pressure of 7.5 GPa for 42 h. We are convinced that at least two kinds of small animals are still alive after being exposed to such high hydrostatic pressure of 7.5 GPa, which corresponds to the pressure at the depth of about 180 km below the surface of the Earth, i.e., Mantle pressure. The results of the present investigation suggest the possibility that Artemia, as well as tardigrade may have traveled through outer space in a large meteorite, and reached the Earth alive from another planet or galaxy. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.