If thoughts about a lackluster sex life have been bothering you, spare a moment for a species that has entirely abstained from sexual activity for an astonishing 80 million years.

While tech mogul Elon Musk and others continue to emphasize that the natural purpose of humans is to propagate the species through reproduction, the story is far more complicated for one microscopic cousin of the flatworm: the bdelloid rotifer. This tiny creature has completely abandoned sexual reproduction, thriving in ways that challenge our conventional understanding of evolution.

Asexual reproduction isn’t entirely rare in the animal kingdom. Certain starfish, jellyfish, and even Komodo dragons can reproduce without mating. However, these cases pale in comparison to the bdelloid rotifer, which has embraced celibacy for tens of millions of years. Every one of the 450 known species of bdelloid rotifers consists entirely of females—no males have ever been documented in any population.

Bdelloids are hardy creatures, often inhabiting puddles, moss, and even sewage treatment tanks. In these harsh environments, they employ a remarkable survival strategy: they incorporate DNA from other species into their own genomes. This horizontal gene transfer allows them to maintain genetic diversity without sexual reproduction, a feat that most asexual organisms fail to achieve. Typically, species that reproduce solely asexually eventually hit an evolutionary dead end, succumbing to parasites or environmental changes due to lack of variation. Bdelloids, however, have defied this pattern, flourishing for tens of millions of years.

According to Discover Wildlife, bdelloid rotifers can even be revived after long dormancy. In 2021, specimens were resurrected from Siberian permafrost where they had remained inactive for more than 24,000 years. Upon thawing, these microscopic creatures resumed their normal life processes, including reproduction through asexual means. This remarkable resilience suggests that their DNA repair systems are among the most efficient in the microscopic world, helping them outlast the typical lifespan of most asexual species, which rarely exceeds 100,000 generations.

These so-called "evolutionary scoundrels" sustain themselves on a diet of dead bacteria, algae, and protozoans, scraping nutrients from their inhospitable environments. This lifestyle not only provides sustenance but also appears to facilitate the horizontal gene transfer that is key to their survival. Up to 10% of their active genes are derived from other species, earning them the nickname “a Frankenstein collage of foreign DNA from more than 500 species.” Scientists speculate that this borrowed genetic material enhances their ability to resist extreme environmental stresses, including drought, radiation, and desiccation.

When bdelloid rotifers encounter drying water sources, their bodies mummify, entering a stasis-like state. Dehydration, which damages DNA similarly to radiation, triggers their remarkable DNA repair mechanisms. By shattering and reconstructing their genome, bdelloids effectively achieve the genetic shuffling benefits normally provided by sexual reproduction—without ever needing a mate.

Bdelloid rotifers continue to prove they don't need men to survive (Eduardo Baena / Getty)

Furthermore, bdelloid rotifers produce their own unique antibiotics, fending off fungal infections with genes stolen from bacteria. This capability makes them a fascinating subject for research in next-generation antibiotics and potential biotechnological applications. By integrating vast amounts of foreign DNA into their systems, they not only survive but thrive under conditions that would obliterate most other microscopic species.

Essentially, while sexual reproduction has long been considered essential for genomic innovation and survival, bdelloid rotifers have proven that evolution can take alternative paths. Their ingenious use of horizontal gene transfer and extreme resilience makes them one of nature’s most extraordinary examples of adaptation. So, in the grand contest of survival and evolution, these female-only rotifers continue to show that you don’t need males—or sex—to dominate your ecosystem. Keep thriving, bdelloids—you’ve truly got it all figured out.