Four new species of tardigrade - also known as water bears or moss piglets - have been discovered in the glaciers of the Southern Alps.
Tardigrades are microscopic, eight-legged, invertebrate animals known for their ability to withstand Earth's most extreme environments.
Professor Peter Dearden from the Biochemistry department at University of Otago is one of the co-authors on the paper published in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution about the discovery of new tardigrade species.
A Tardigrade, also known as a water bear Photo: supplied
