Otzi the Iceman carries ancient cold-loving microbes, study finds
Technology
Otzi the Iceman, a mummy from over 5,300 years ago found in the Alps, is still full of surprises.
A new study shows he carries ancient microorganisms that survived all this time.
Researchers dug into his skin, tissues, and even the ice around him to uncover cold-loving microbes hanging on since Otzi's era.
Three microbe types found in Ötzi
Scientists discovered three kinds of microbes: his original gut bacteria, linked to high-fiber diets, glacier-adapted organisms trapped with him, and some modern ones picked up after he was found.
Even fungi and yeast, like Glaciozyma, are thriving in freezing conditions.
Altogether, Otzi acts like a tiny ecosystem, offering rare clues about how ancient life adapted and evolved through tough environments.