Water bears steal DNA, scientists say

The eight-legged water bear - a hardy, nearly microscopic animal resembling its mammal namesake - gets a huge chunk of its DNA from foreign organisms such as bacteria and plants, scientists said.

These genes, the researchers suggest, help the tiny animals, also known as moss piglets or tardigrades, to survive in the harshest of environments.

Water bears, which live all over the world, are usually 0.5 millimeters long and move very slowly and clumsily. The highly adaptable creatures can survive extreme temperatures.