A guy was able to create his own micro-ecosystem in a jar after scooping up water and dirt from a nearby river.
As kids, most of us will have likely chucked a load of mud, grass and water in a jar and called it a short-lived experiment – but what if I told you there was a grown-up version of this hobby which involves creating your own mini-ecosystem?
It may sound a little random at first, but creating an entire biosphere enclosed in a jar is a standard pastime for some people, with terrariums being a pretty popular option.
However, one content creator decided to take things to the next level.
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In a video titled 'I Put Dirt and Water in a Jar' YouTuber Nestor shared an experiment where he left a sealed jar filled with river water, dirt, rocks and algae to develop for six months, and he was surprised by what he found.
In order to conduct his fun experiment, Nestor headed down to his local river and gathered a bunch of sand, gravel and algae-covered stones before filling it up with water.
He then took the mixture home and rearranged it into an enclosed terrarium with the qualities to sustain life - the dirt mixture for bacterial growth, rocks to provide shelter and algae for oxygen - before adding the water and shutting the lid.
Nestor was quickly able to spot the first signs of life in the hours after assembling the jar, noting the presence of bladder snails, diving beetles and crustaceans called 'scuds'.
Pretty cool, right?
For the final stage of the experiment, Nestor left the jar to do its own thing for six months before revisiting – and life in the tiny ecosystem had changed completely.
"At first glance it might look dead, lifeless," he said. "But as soon as you get close a whole constellation of microorganisms start sparkling like stars."
Bacteria colonies had formed under the sand and oxygenating duckweed now floated on the surface.
The diving beetles were long extinct, while the scuds now ruled the jar and bladder snails had decreased in numbers.
There were also several new creatures which appeared, including a rather strange looking flatworm.
Overall, the project was a success for Nestor, who was surprised to see the jar end up as a self-sustaining ecosystem.
The developments inside the jar also left viewers intrigued, with many noting that you'd never expect to find so many creatures in such a small amount of water.
"What’s crazy is that jar was their whole world," read one comment, while a second person joked: "A million years later and the first dinosaurs crawl out of the jar."
Meanwhile, others were left feeling more philosophical, even wondering if our solar system is someone else's mason jar.
"Literally aliens watching us struggle in the Milky Way," one person added.
Which is certainly something to think about.
Topics: Environment, Animals, YouTube
Brenna Cooper