As the Burning Man 2023 festival-goers began to depart from the flooded event last year, a variety of peculiar organisms appeared. Tropical Storm Hilary's heavy rains transformed the typically arid Nevada desert into a muddy mess, trapping thousands of partygoers on site. Attendees who were looking forward to experiencing the globally renowned festival were advised to save water, food, and fuel as the festival entrances were shut due to the weather conditions.
Elon Musk's brutal mistake during last year's Burning Man Festival chaos What fans should expect from Burning Man 2024 — including dates and lineup However, the unusual rainfall in the Black Rock Desert has awakened more than just chaos for the festival attendees. A collection of odd organisms that can remain dormant in the dried lake bed for years were then coming to life. These creatures, known as 'three-eyed dinosaur shrimp' or Triops, are related to the oldest living creature - triops cancriformis.
These tiny creatures have two primary eyes and a pit organ, their 'third eye', which is common among insects and allows prey animals to sense changes in light. Other bizarre creatures emerging from the usually parched playa include fairy shrimp, also known as sea monkeys. DON'T MISS.
.. Adam Lambert recalls 'taking acid' at Burning Man before American Idol audition [COMMENT] Chris Rock made hasty Burning Man exit as he feared he'd be eaten by cannibals [NEWS] Burning Man to honor 364 victims of Nova Festival massacre with special tribute [LATEST] The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has shared that Friends of Nevada Wilderness, a group supporting BLM's Winnemucca District, attended the festival to educate about the three-eyed dinosaur and fairy shrimp.
According to the BLM, volunteers taught visitors about the playa's "cultural, historic, and natural features, including the threatened fairy shrimp that hatch during spring floods". Spring in the Nevada desert typically spans from March to June, but these crustaceans aren't too concerned with the calendar. They're more interested in whether the conditions are just right - and by just right, they mean quite wet.
Burning Man 2024 is about to take place, and the excitement of the festival is only just beginning..
