Zombie Research Society
We’ve already discussed the possibility that an undead virus may be lurking dormant (see: Zombie 
Endospores From Hell). Now a recent article from Science Magazine proves that at least one species of complex animal has the ability to literally turn into dust.
Researchers at Cornell University found that the aquatic Bdelloid Rotifer escapes mortal danger by transforming into dried particles and floating off into thin air.
“Bdelloids can rid themselves of a deadly fungal parasite through complete desiccation and disperse by wind to establish new populations in its absence.”
The Rotifers remain in this passive state until they happen to fall into a habitable body of water that is free of any predators, then they suddenly and mysteriously reanimate.
If the walking dead are able to mimic this newly discovered process, their disappearance and reappearance throughout history would be explained. Zombies that can’t find food, or are set on fire, or even shot in the head, could quickly deteriorate to dust and simply drift away. Once external conditions were right, they would then reappear to continue their morbid destruction.
So cross your fingers that the undead have absolutely nothing in common with Bdelloid Rotifers.
I’m thinking not that the zombies could turn to dust and reform, more like the dried particles or “dust” would be the infectious material to start the process all over. Like breathing in mold can make you sick. Thus a place where they “died” would be contaminated when they dried up, some one disturbs the area and kicks up the dust and “oops, infected” and it starts over again.
I think whoever wrote this article misunderstood. The magazine article wasn’t saying the creature itself actually comes apart — just that the creature is so small when it dries up it effectively *is* a particle of dust.
This raises entirely new possibilities for zombies, though, such as zombies from an initial outbreak drying up, only to accidentally be found and rehydrated years later, starting the cycle all over again…
Hi Haro-
Good point, but there are many theories that suggest that what is driving the zombie is “so small when it dries up it effective *s* a particle of dust.” Meaning: the corpse walking around isn’t the zombie, it’s just the vehicle the zombie is using. The real zombie is the microscopic organism that can act like this tiny animal.
That would make a lot more sense. If the entire body dried up it would be more like a giant cornflake.
Can you site the information for me? I’m wondering were you got that it can reform at will in a body with no predators near by.
If this is true, and the undead can do this, we basically have no way to kill them, not even starvation or nukes…
I don’t know man, this seems kinda iffy to me. What triggers the new population to form? Is it simply an automated response programmed into their DNA? Lying dormant and waiting for the right time to come back seems to imply intelligence, and if zombies have any intelligence at all it is probably quite minimal.
Most likely the virus would reapear within a human’s stomach/lungs from breathing in or be absorbed through the skin into the blood stream. A similar process involves a flies larvae to only hatch when in contact with the heat from a cow’s body.
Or it could simply be instinctive
2 years ago would have been perfect, a high boom in everything. even people, streets became more densely populated, livestock was growing so why not then? in a short time many of the current elderly will pass away and this is predicted to be a hit on some countries eg Austria so if they are going to hit soon time is running out, this theory i have to disagree with
perhaps they are waiting for a certain concentration of dying people in combination with some chemical sign in the body that would indicate presence of healthy living meat nearby?