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Database of survival and recapture estimates for odonates

This excel file contains a review of published and unpublished estimates of survival and recapture rates for Odonata. The main data are in sheet "sex-age". Other sheets include references that were not used for the meta-analysis, and some statistical treatments and graphics. It has been used for the book chapter "Odonata survival: insights from mark-recapture experiments", of the book "Dragonflies and damselflies: Model organisms for ecological and evolutionary research, Second Edition", edited by Alex Córdoba-Aguilar, Christopher D. Beatty, Jason T. Bried & Catalina M. Suárez-Tovar.

Data from: Dispersal decreases survival but increases reproductive opportunities for subordinates in a cooperative breeder

In most socially structured populations, the formation of new groups depends on the survival and reproduction of dispersing individuals. Quantifying vital rates in dispersers, however, is difficult due to logistic challenges of following wide-ranging animals. Here, using data from free-ranging meerkats (Suricata suricatta), we estimated survival and reproduction of dispersing and established resident females. Meerkat groups consist of a dominant pair and several subordinate helpers. Female helpers are evicted from their resident groups by the dominant female, allowing her to monopolize reproduction, and evicted females may form small dispersing coalitions. As in established resident groups, one female is behaviourally dominant in parties of dispersing females. We compared the survival, birth, and recruitment rates of dominant and subordinate females in dispersing coalitions to those of dominant and subordinate females in resident groups. We further compared the frequencies of different mortality causes (e.g., predation, disease) between dispersers and residents. For dispersers, we assessed if survival rates varied with dispersal distance and between transience and settlement stages of dispersal. During dispersal and the first four months after new group formation, survival is lower for all females compared to established resident groups. At the same time, subordinates in disperser groups have higher birth rates than those in established groups, which rarely breed successfully. This may partly offset the survival costs of dispersal to subordinate females. Further studies of dispersal based on direct observation of dispersing animals are needed to explore the costs and benefits of dispersal in species with contrasting breeding systems.

Database of initial survival of three pine species after antitranspirant application

Raw data from the Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Forestales paper: "Initial survival of three pine species after antitranspirant application" Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Forestales 2022 13(69): 176-199. doi:<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f9020071">10.29298/rmcf.v13i69.1145.</a> The database corresponds to seedlings of three Mexican pines: P. cooperi, P. durangensis and P. engelmannii, that were treated with three antitranspirant products (Vapor Gard, Fitoglass, and Ecofilm) and two application methods (spraying and immersion). Survival data and root neck diameter were measured.

Tree dynamic response and survival in a category-5 tropical cyclone: The case of super typhoon Trami

In the future with climate change, we expect more forest and tree damage due to the increasing strength and changing trajectories of tropical cyclones (TCs). However, to date, we have limited information to estimate likely damage levels, and nobody has ever measured exactly how forest trees behave mechanically during a TC. In 2018, a category-5 TC destroyed trees in our ongoing research plots, in which we were measuring tree movement and wind speed in two different tree spacing plots. We found damaged trees in only the wider spaced plot. Here, we present how trees dynamically respond to strong winds during a TC. Sustained strong winds obviously trigger the damage to trees and forests but inter-tree spacing is also a key factor because the level of support from neighboring trees modifies the effective "stiffness" against the wind both at the single tree and whole forest stand level.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2021View details →

Warming decreases host survival with multiple parasitoids, but parasitoid performance also decreases

README ############## ## DATASETS ## ############## ### data_FR.csv ###  Daily recording of emerges from Experiment 1 - Vial.ID: unique name for each experimental vial     - Heggs: aimed initial host density per vial (5, 10,15, 25, 50 or 100) - Block: from 1 to 8 (same as replicate) - T: temperature treatment (23°C or 27°C) - Hsp: host species (BIR = D. birchii, PAL = D. pallidifrons, SIM = D. simulans) - Psp: parasitoid species (C = controls, A = Asobara sp., L = Leptopilina sp., G = Ganaspis sp.)     - Rep: replicate (from 1 to 8) - H_P: H = host and P = parasitoid - sp: species name (abbreviations: Asb = Asobara sp., Lept = Leptopilina sp., Gana = Ganaspis sp., BIR = D. birchii, PAL = D. pallidifrons, SIM = D. simulans)     - sex: M = male and F = female (for parasitoids only, NA for hosts) - column 6 to 46: number of emerges from day 6 to day 46 from the start of the experiment (when eggs were placed in vials) -> emerges where checked daily ### data_C.BM.csv ###  Measurements of host body mass in controls from Experiment 1 - Vial.ID: unique name for each experimental vial     - Heggs: initial host density (here 50 only) - Block: from 1 to 8 (same as replicate) - T: temperature treatment (23°C or 27°C) - Hsp: host species (BIR = D. birchii, PAL = D. pallidifrons, SIM = D. simulans) - Psp: parasitoid species (C = controls: no parasitoids) - Rep: replicate (from 1 to 8) - H_P: H = host - column 1 to 10: individual host body mass (in µg): 10 host were weighted per vial when possible - BM: mean host body mass from this vial (in µg) - BM_N: number of hosts weighted from this vial ### data_FR.P.BM.csv ###  Measurements of parasitoid body mass from Experiment 1 - Vial.ID: unique name for each experimental vial     - Heggs: initial host density (here 50 only) - Block: from 1 to 8 (same as replicate) - T: temperature treatment (23°C or 27°C) - Hsp: host species (BIR = D. birchii, PAL = D. pallidifrons, SIM = D. simulans) - Psp: parasitoid species (Asb = Asobara sp., Lept = Leptopilina sp., Gana = Ganaspis sp.) - Rep: replicate (from 1 to 8) - H_P: P = parasitoid - column 1 to 10: individual parasitoid body mass (in µg): 10 parasitoids were weighted per vial when possible - BM: mean parasitoid body mass from this vial (in µg) - BM_N: number of parasitoids weighted from this vial ### data_MPEexp2.csv ###  Daily recording of emerges from Experiment 2 - Vial.ID: unique name for each experimental vial     - Heggs: initial host density (here 50 only) - Block: from 1 to 2 - T: temperature treatment (23°C or 27°C) - Hsp: host species (here only D. simulans) - Treat: H1P1 = one host and one parasitoid species, H1P2 = one host and 2 parasitoid species (always two parasitoid individuals) - Pcomb: parasitoid assemblage (abbreviations: A = Asobara sp., L = Leptopilina sp., G = Ganaspis sp.)     - Rep: replicate (from 1 to 8) - H_P: H = host and P = parasitoid - sp: species name (abbreviations: Asb = Asobara sp., Lept = Leptopilina sp., Gana = Ganaspis sp., SIM = D. simulans)     - sex: M = male and F = female - column 7 to 40: number of emerges from day 7 to day 40 from the start of the experiment (when eggs were placed in vials) -> emerges where checked daily ### data_MPEexp3.csv ###  Data from dissections from Experiment 3 - T: temperature treatment (23°C or 27°C) - Pcomb: parasitoid assemblage (abbreviations: A: Asobara sp., and G: Ganaspis sp.)     - Block: from 1 to 2 (different than Experiment 1 and 2) - Rep: replicate (from 1 to 12) - Observer: name of the observer - Dissection: time of dissection (early or late) - Day_infection: number of days between initialization of the vial and the dissection - H_number: larvae ID from the vial (from 1 to 10 for each vial) - Larvae_pupae: if the host dissected was at the larval or pupal stage (we aimed to dissected larvae but it was not always possible) - ASB_egg: number of Asobara sp. eggs - ASB_larvae: number of Asobara sp. larvae - ASB_melanized: number of Asobara sp. melanized eggs - GANA_egg: number of Ganaspis sp. eggs - GANA_larvae: number of Ganaspis sp. larvae - GANA_melanized:  number of Ganaspis sp. melanized eggs - NA_melanized:  number of melanized eggs not identified to species level - Melanization_trace: if presence (y) or not (na) of other trace of melanization - Melanization_eggs: presence (y) or not (n) of melanized eggs - P_larvae: total number of parasitoid larvae - P_eggs: total number of parasitoid eggs - TOT_ASB: total number of Asobara sp. - TOT_GANA: total number of Ganaspis sp. - TOT_P: total number of parasitoids - TOT_Melanized: total number of melanized eggs  - Melanization: presence (y) or not (n) of melanization (either melanized eggs or trace of melanization) - Super_ASB: presence (y) or not (n) of multiple Asobara sp. - Super_GANA: presence (y) or not (n) of multiple Ganaspis sp. - Superparasitism: presence (y) or not (n) of superparasitism - Multiparasitism: presence (y) or not (n) of multiparasitism - Sup_Mult: presence (y) or not (n) of either super- or multiparasitism - ASB: presence (y) or not (n) of Asobara sp. - GANA: presence (y) or not (n) of Ganaspis sp. - Parasitized: presence (y) or not (n) of parasitism ############### ## R scripts ## ############### ### MPE0_data-cleaning.R ###  R script to import, clean and modify the datasets --> save the data needed for analyses in "MPE_data.RData" ### MPE1_FRfit.R ### R script to fit parasitoid functional responses --> save the results in "data.FRfitSIM.csv" --> save the data needed for analyses in "MPE_data_FR.RData" ### MPE2_analyses1.R ###  R script to analyze data from Experiment 2  using the method proposed in McCoy et al. (2012). Emergent effects of multiple predators on prey survival: the importance of depletion and the functional response. Ecology letters, 15(12), 1449-1456. ### MPE3_analyses2_exp2.R ###  R script to analyze data from Experiment 2 ### MPE4_analyses3_exp3.R ###  R script to analyze data from Experiment 3

Declining survival rates of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) during the first outbreak of sarcoptic mange in Sweden

Rapid declines in red fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations have followed outbreaks of epizootic mange caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. In Sweden, the first outbreak of sarcoptic mange started in 1977/78 and affected the whole country by 1984. Here we used data on number of harvested red foxes from Gävleborg county (18 199 km2) in Sweden between 1970 and 1994. We used data on the prevalence of sarcoptic mange in harvested red foxes from 1974 to 1982. A rapid decline in harvested foxes occurred two to three years after the prevalence of sarcoptic mange first became evident. In the same period, Mark-Recovery data were used to estimate changes in survival rates, and the best model included an effect of age (young or adult) and period (annual) on the survival and recapture probabilities. The analysis was based data from 701 young foxes of which 523 were recovered, and 133 adults of which 131 were recovered. Average annual survival was 0.55 (range=0.53-0.58) for adult and 0.36 (range=0.32-0.39) for young foxes in the three years preceding the outbreak. During the outbreak and the remaining six years of the study, the average survival was reduced to 0.41 (range=0.30-0.48) for adult and to 0.25 (range=0.17-0.30) for young foxes. A population model, based on our results on survival and literature data on fecundity, was developed to project the decline of the fox population. The rate and magnitude of the reduction in the projected population and harvested foxes were similar, with both reduced by almost ninety percent. Harvest statistics indicate the fox population recovered to pre-mange densities in less than 10 years after the first detection of mange indicating a rapid development of resistance in the host. This study shows the importance of long-term population monitoring in combination with large-scale field-experiments to device alternative management options.

Grandmaternal age at reproduction affects grandoffspring body condition, reproduction and survival in a wild population of lizards

Age at reproduction can influence the survival and future reproduction of an individual as well as that of their offspring. Remarkably, it has been shown that grandmaternal age at reproduction can also affect the characteristics of grandoffspring in humans and in laboratory or semi-captive animals. However, currently we do not know whether grandmaternal age effects exist in wild populations. We gathered data on female age at reproduction, offspring and grandoffspring characteristics using a 16-year long-term survey of a natural population of the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara. The dataset contains 579 grandoffspring from 135 litters. Body size at birth was not correlated with grandmaternal age at reproduction. However, grandoffspring body condition at birth, grandoffspring survival and reproductive performance of granddaughters were dependent on grandmaternal age. These relationships were independent of maternal age. An age-structured model showed that the global effect of grandmaternal age was nonlinear and was largely driven by its effect on grandoffspring survival. Fitness was higher for granddaughters produced by grandmothers of intermediate ages. The study shows that age can shape life-history traits for more than one generation, documenting the importance that grandmaternal age can have in wild populations.

A Survival Analysis based Volatility and Sparsity Modeling Network for Student Dropout Prediction

KDDCup15.rar and XuetangX.rar are the metadata used in the paper "A Survival Analysis based Volatility and Sparsity ModelingNetwork for Student Dropout Prediction". Both of them have be drawn from the largest MOOC platform in China, XuetangX (see https://www.xuetangx.com/). If any interested parties want to fetch the original dataset, they may follow the URLs bellow: KDDCup 2015 dataset is available at <a href="https://www.biendata.xyz/competition/kddcup2015/data/">https://www.biendata.xyz/competition/kddcup2015/data/</a>. XuetangX dataset is available at <a href="http://moocdata.cn/data/user-activity">http://moocdata.cn/data/user-activity</a>.

opencc-by-3.0-usJan 2022View details →

Water application method influences survival or growth of Escherichia coli on bulb onions during field curing.

These data are presented in figure 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the publication entitled   "Water application method influences survival or growth of Escherichia coli on bulb onions during field curing" submitted to Journal of Food Protection

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

No impact of biocontrol agent's predation cues on development time or size of surviving Aedes albopictus under optimal nutritional availability

Cyclopoid copepods have been applied successfully to limit populations of highly invasive Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that can transmit diseases of public health importance. However, there is concern that changes in certain mosquito traits, induced by exposure to copepod predation, might increase the risk of disease transmission. In this study, third instar Ae. albopictus larvae, hereafter referred to as "focal individuals", were exposed to Megacyclops viridis predator cues associated with both consumption of newly-hatched mosquito larvae and attacks on focal individuals. The number of newly-hatched larvae surrounding each focal larva was held constant to control for density effects on size, and the focal individual's day of pupation and wing length were recorded for each replicate. Exposing late instar Ae. albopictus to predation decreased their chances of surviving to adulthood, and three focal larvae that died in the predator treatment showed signs of melanization, indicative of wounding. Among surviving focal Ae. albopictus, no significant difference in either pupation day or wing length was observed due to copepod predation. The absence of a significant sublethal impact from M. viridis copepod predation on surviving later-stage larvae in this analysis supports the use of M. viridis as a biocontrol agent against Ae. albopictus.

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

Performances (survival and growth) and functional traits of tree seedlings along light and water gradients

A foundational assumption of trait-based ecology is that individual performances should be predicted by its functional traits. However, the trait-performance relationships reported in literature were typically weak, probably due to the ignorance of interactions between traits and environments, intraspecific trait variability and hard traits (directly linked to physiological processes of interest). We conducted an experiment of planting 900 seedlings of six tree species separately (one seedling per pot) along experimentally manipulated light and water gradients, monitored their survival and growth, and measured their morphological, photosynthetic and hydraulic traits. Most trait-performance relationships depended on the environments, either marginally changing (weak trait × environment interaction) or even reversing (strong trait × environment interaction) along light or water gradients in our experiment. Such trait × environment interactions were more likely to be detected in growth models using individual-level traits than models using species mean traits, but seedling growth was not better modelled with individual-level traits than species mean traits. Additionally, none of the hard traits (photosynthetic and hydraulic traits) were better predictors than soft traits (morphological traits) modeling seedling growth and survival along light and water gradients. Our study highlights the necessities of considering trait × environment interactions when predicting response of plants to changing environments. The benefits of using individual-level traits or hard traits to predict plant performance might be reduced or even cancelled if their measurement errors are not well controlled.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2021View details →

Data from: Survival of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon knockout fragments in the interstellar medium

Original and published data for the paper "Survival of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon knockout fragments in the interstellar medium", published in Nature Communications, from measurements at the DESIREE facility. See original publication for experimental details.   Folder structure: Raw_Data contains the raw particle-detector data obtained from the measurements as csv-files in two separate subdirectories. The Beam_Dump folder contains measurements where the ion beam is dumped onto a detector after a different time delays. The Spontaneous_Decay folder contains measurements of neutral particle counts as a function of ion storage time. Metadata is present in the included json-files. Figure_Data contains the processed data presented in the figures of the original publication as csv-files. Metadata is present in the included json-file.

opencc-zeroMar 2022View details →

From nature reserve to mosaic management: improving matrix survival, not permeability, benefits regional populations under habitat loss and fragmentation

Although matrix improvement in fragmented landscapes is a promising conservation measure, matrix permeability (willingness of an organism to enter the matrix) and movement survival in the matrix are usually aggregated. Consequently, it is unknown which matrix property needs to be improved. It also remains unclear whether matrix upgrading from dispersal passage to providing reproduction opportunities has large conservation benefits and whether there are interactive effects between habitat and matrix management. We examined matrix effects on regional populations across a gradient of habitat loss and fragmentation using simulation experiments that integrated demographic processes and movement modeling based on circuit theory. We separately modified the levels of matrix permeability and movement survival to evaluate their individual effects. We also altered the amount and configuration of not only habitat but also improved matrix to assess their effects on population vital rates (size, survival and density). In binary landscapes comprising habitat and unimproved matrix, matrix movement survival had larger effects on population vital rates than matrix permeability. Increasing movement survival increased vital rates, yet, increasing matrix permeability decreased vital rates. Increased permeability required corresponding increased movement survival to offset potential negative population outcomes. When subsets of the matrix functioning as dispersal passage only (where no reproduction opportunities existed) were improved, increasing matrix permeability but holding movement survival constant reduced all vital rates, especially with increasing habitat fragmentation. In contrast, when movement survival increased, vital rates increased given strong habitat fragmentation. The benefits of upgrading dispersal passage to provide reproduction opportunities for population survival were greatest when habitat amount was moderate. We also found synergetic effects between amounts of habitat and improved matrix, and the benefits of matrix improvement were promoted when improvement was achieved in a spatially aggregated manner. Synthesis and applications: Matrix improvement and connectivity modeling aimed at increasing movement survival will likely bring larger conservation benefits than those for improving permeability alone. Buffering and connecting habitat remnants with improved matrix could provide benefits as long as movement survival is increased. Simultaneous implementation of habitat management and matrix improvement would yield synergistic conservation benefits.

shoreline survival data

All data/results files associated with the repository at: https://github.com/markmbaum/shoreline-survival Download the "data" directory and place it inside the shoreline-survival directory. All scripts should find local paths as appropriate.

opencc-zeroApr 2022View details →

Hormone receptors AR, ER, PR and growth factor receptor Her-2 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Correlation with overall survival, disease-free survival and 10-year survival in a high-risk population

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) comprises most of head and neck neoplasms and is one of the highest-ranking and lethal cancers in Pakistan due to prevailing mouth habits. Growth and hormonal receptors act as prognostic markers and targets for therapy in some cancers, but their application in OSCC is largely unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of growth and hormonal receptors in OSCC patients and correlate it with 10-year, overall and disease-free survival. To achieve this objective, immunohistochemistry for Her-2, AR, ER and PR was performed on 100 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary OSCC specimens. Receptor expression was correlated with mouth habits and clinicopathological features and patient survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression univariate analysis. We observed that in 100 patients, there were 57 males and 43 females. Immunopositive Her-2 expression was observed in 21% of patients, AR in 13%, ER in 3% and 0% for PR. Patients with betel quid/areca nut mouth habits had significantly absent Her-2 expression (P=0.035). Also, Her-2 negative patients were also negative for AR expression (P=0.002). Her-2 positive patients had poor 10-year survival (P=0.041). A trend of low survival and high recurrence rate was observed in AR positive patients, but this was not significant (P=0.072). No statistically relevant correlations were seen in the case of ER and PR. In conclusion, Her-2 may be a valuable marker for predicting long-term prognosis of OSCC patients.

opencc-zeroApr 2022View details →

Maternal survival costs in an asocial mammal: Data and analysis

Abstract. Maternal characteristics, social dynamics, and environmental factors can all influence reproduction and survival as well as shape trade-offs that might arise between these components of fitness. Short-lived mammals like the golden-mantled ground squirrel (GMGS; Callospermophilus lateralis) tend to maximize effort towards current reproduction at the expense of survival but may be complicated by other aspects of the species' life history and environment.. Here, we use 25 years of data (1995-2020) collected from a population of GMGS at the Rocky Mountain Biological Research Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado, to test the effect of several maternal characteristics (e.g., age, experience, timing of litter emergence), social context (e.g., litter sex ratio, kin density), and environmental context (e.g., date of bare ground, length of vegetative growing season) on survival of reproductive female GMGS using Cox proportional hazard models. Our results indicated that social dynamics (i.e., density) and environmental conditions (i.e., standardized first day of permanent snow cover and length of growing season) explained significant variation in annual maternal survival, while maternal characteristics did not. A higher density of related breeding females and the total number of females (both related and unrelated to the focal mother) were associated with an increase in the mortality hazard. A later standardized date of the first day of permanent snow cover and a shorter growing season both reduced the maternal mortality hazard. Together, our results suggest that factors extrinsic to the squirrels affect maternal survival, and thus may also influence local population growth and dynamics in GMGS and other short-lived, territorial mammal species.

opencc-zeroMay 2022View details →

Data from: Hierarchical variation in phenotypic flexibility across timescales and associated survival selection shape the dynamics of partial seasonal migration

Population responses to environmental variation ultimately depend on within-individual and among-individual variation in labile phenotypic traits that affect fitness, and resulting episodes of selection. Yet, complex patterns of individual phenotypic variation arising within and between time periods, and associated variation in selection, have not been fully conceptualised or quantified. We highlight how structured patterns of phenotypic variation in dichotomous threshold traits can theoretically arise and experience varying forms of selection, shaping overall phenotypic dynamics. We then fit novel multistate models to ten years of band-resighting data from European shags to quantify phenotypic variation and selection in a key threshold trait underlying spatio-seasonal population dynamics: seasonal migration versus residence. First, we demonstrate substantial among-individual variation alongside substantial between-year individual repeatability in within-year phenotypic variation ('flexibility'), with weak sexual dimorphism. Second, we demonstrate that between-year individual variation in within-year phenotypes ('supraflexibility') is structured and directional, consistent with the threshold trait model. Third, we demonstrate strong survival selection on within-year phenotypes, and hence on flexibility, that varies across years and sexes, including episodes of disruptive selection representing costs of flexibility. By quantitatively combining these results, we show how supraflexibility and survival selection on migratory flexibility jointly shape population-wide phenotypic dynamics of seasonal movement.

opencc-zeroMay 2022View details →

Effect of resource limitation on host post-infection survival and systemic pathogenic growth

In the experiments presented here, we explore the effect of resource limitation, in form of starvation (which leads to decrease in accessible resources and depletion of reserves) and sexual activity (which leads to reallocation of resources from somatic defence towards reproduction), on immune function of female Drosophila melanogaster flies. We infected females with five bacterial pathogens and measured their post-infection survival when subjected to either starvation or sexual activity (mating). Additionally, we measured within host pathogen levels in case of three of these pathogens. Based on previous literature, we predicted that both modes of resource limitation will increase post-infection mortality, but only sexual activity will lead to increase of pathogen load (because of compromised immune function), while starvation will either not affect or reduce pathogen loads (because of reduced availability of resources for the pathogen to proliferate within the host). Our results indicate that both starvation and sexual activity can lead to increased within-host pathogen levels, in addition to increased post-infection mortality, but in a pathogen-specific manner.

opencc-by-4.0May 2022View details →

A novel nematode species from the Siberian permafrost shares adaptive mechanisms for cryptobiotic survival with C. elegans dauer larva

Some organisms in nature have developed the ability to enter a state of suspended metabolism called cryptobiosis1 when environmental conditions are unfavorable. This state-transition requires the execution of complex genetic and biochemical programs1,2,3, that enables the organism to survive for prolonged periods. Recently, nematode individuals have been reanimated from Siberian permafrost after remaining in cryptobiosis. Preliminary analysis indicates that these nematodes belong to the genera Panagrolaimus and Plectus4. Here, we present precise radiocarbon dating indicating that the Panagrolaimus individuals have remained in cryptobiosis since the late Pleistocene (~46,000 years). Phylogenetic inference based on our genome assembly and a detailed morphological analysis demonstrate that they belong to an undescribed species, which we named Panagrolaimus n. sp. Comparative genome analysis revealed that the molecular toolkit for cryptobiosis in Panagrolaimus n. sp. and in C. elegans is partly orthologous. We show that biochemical mechanisms employed by these two species to survive desiccation and freezing under laboratory conditions are similar. Our experimental evidence also reveals that C. elegans dauer larvae can remain viable for longer periods in suspended animation than previously reported. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that nematodes evolved mechanisms potentially allowing them to suspend life over geological time scales.