The scientists believe that the bacteria got trapped in the salt crystals, which were buried 1,850 feet down under what's now Carlsbad, New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. The answer could be spores. The bacteria appear to be similar to modern day soil bacteria that form protective spores when things get tough. Spores are much, much tougher than plant seeds, however. Spores can even survive blasts of radiation as well as years of going with no water or nutrients.
Scientists know that modern-day soil bacteria spores can revive after many years.
Some scientists think that these microbial sleeping beauties are a fairy tale themselves. These scientists say that there needs to be more proof that the bacteria found in the salt crystals didn't seep into the salt beds at a more recent time. Or perhaps the bacteria found in the crystals were microbes that contaminated the lab or the instruments used to drill into the salt. The scientists who did the experiments say that they took extra care to make sure there was no chance for contamination. The bee and its microbial guests got trapped and preserved in a drop of tree sap that became amber.