Tardigrades Are The Ultimate Survivalists
If aliens came to visit Earth, they might see that humans have done the most to subdue the planet and build a civilization; nevertheless, tardigrades have been the most resilient creature in history. These microscopic sea creatures, also known as “water bears,” have inhabited just about every corner of the Earth at some point in history.
They have been around for about half a billion years, making them possibly the longest-lived of any organism that scientists have ever discovered. They are only about half a millimeter long, but under a microscope, they look like a hulking creature that you might expect to find in Jabba the Hutt’s palace in Star Wars.