The world’s oldest DNA ever reveals a surprisingly lively Arctic

The polar desert was once a fertile land.
 By 
Teodosia Dobriyanova
 on 
Split screen shows layers of ancient soil on the left, and an artists interpretation of what the Arctic might have looked like a few million years ago. Caption reads: "History undearthed"
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In a breakthrough study, scientists successfully sequenced 2 million-year-old DNA uncovered in Northern Greenland. Using cutting-edge technology, the study found that the Arctic's polar desert was once a thriving ecosystem that hosted an array of species from trees and herbs to mastodons and sea creatures.

The extraction of the DNA, which was found frozen in Ice Age sediment, challenges scientists' previous beliefs that DNA cannot survive for longer than a million years. The research team was led by Professor Eske Willerslev (University of Cambridge) and Professor Kurt H. Kjær (University of Copenhagen).

Topics Nature

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Teodosia Dobriyanova
Video Producer

Teodosia is a video producer at Mashable UK, focussing on stories about climate resilience, urban development, and social good.


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