VORONEZH, January 17 (RIA Novosti) - Cockroaches conceived in space
onboard the Russian Foton-M bio satellite have developed faster and
become hardier than 'terrestrial' ones, a research supervisor said on
Thursday.
The research team has been monitoring the cockroaches since they were
born in October. The scientists established that their limbs and bodies
grew faster.
"What is more, we have found out that the creatures... run faster than
ordinary cockroaches, and are much more energetic and resilient,"
Dmitry Atyakshin said.
Cockroaches, as well as other types of insects, can give birth several
times after one impregnation, and the cockroaches that conceived during
the bio-satellite's September 14-26 flight have since given birth to
their second and third batches of offspring.
"The second and third batches did not show these peculiarities of growth and physiology," the scientist noted.
'Ordinary' cockroaches are already known for their extraordinary
resilience. Some species can last almost an hour without oxygen or a
month without food, and are able to withstand high doses of radiation.
The September 14-26 flight was part of an ongoing experiment into the
effects of space flight by the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP).
The creatures were sealed in special containers, and a video camera
filmed them during the flight.