Well, (SF writerly hat ON): We can also, presumably, start to worry about what other organisms -- viruses (viri?) -- are living in the permfrost <i>that is busy thawing due to global warming</i>.<p>In the other direction, we can contemplate the fact that, if <i>this</i> multicellular organism can withstand such long-term freezing, <i>so can we</i>. Interstellar (much slower than light speed) travel, here we come!
TV series Fortitude (2015) <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498622" rel="nofollow">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498622</a> explores this kind of scenario happening on Svalbard, highly recommended. Features blindsight <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blindsight" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blindsight</a> as a plot device
This is <i>wild</i>. Absolutely wild. And I think it says a lot about what we might find on Mars. The only thing cooler than reviving an ancient microorganism is reviving an ancient Martian life form.
as much as tardigrades get great press, I really prefer rotifers, especially bdelloid rotifers. A few months ago I noticed some nice sludge on a deck chair that was wet, it was full of rotifers (probably 10 for every tardigrade). They are actively hunting, in a way that is much more interesting than watching a tardigrade. A few days later the sludge had dried out to a powder. If I add water to that powder, in 5-10 minutes, tehre are rotifers swimming around, hunting.
Cool. What could possibly go wrong, right. I mean it would be pitty if all our masks and social-distance training go to waste now. So let's unfreeze some very old microorganisms and see what pathogens we can find amongst them.