Tardigrades from Unexpected Urban Habitats
Tardigrades are microscopic animals that are commonly found in mosses, lichens and leaf litter worldwide. While most of the research focus on tardigrades from pristine natural habitats, their ability to survive almost complete desiccation and other extreme stress (like UV radiations) allows them to thrive also in unexpected urban areas. Tardigrades have been collected from mosses and lichens growing in cities worldwide, however in this study they come up from an unexpected habitat. Abundant tardigrades population have been found in the little amount of sediment that collects in cavities on concrete blocks. Those tardigrades resemble those found in alpine rock pools, i.e., small holes on bare rock that accumulate sediments, allowing to speculate a functional similarity between these natural habitats and less natural holes on concrete blocks. This new discovery highlight how cities can be habitats for unexpected animals and in some cases can help them survive and thrive.
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