In this fascinating video from HabitatForge, a sealed jar filled with nothing but puddle water and mud transforms into a thriving ecosystem. Inside, diving beetles trap air bubbles under their wings to breathe, copepods carry their eggs until they hatch, and rotifers swirl together in tiny clouds of life. Meanwhile, colonies of vorticella compete for space while predatory larvae hunt smaller organisms to keep the balance.

All of it appeared naturally with no added organisms and no interference, just the hidden life that was already there, waiting for the right conditions to explode into activity.

[Via Neatorama]