Scientists have identified DNA from animals, plants and microbes dating to about 2 million years ago - the oldest on record by far - from sediment at Greenland's northernmost point dug up around the mouth of an Arctic Ocean fjord, revealing an amazing lost world at this remote frontier.
Researchers said on Wednesday fragments of DNA were detected for a panoply of animals including mastodons, reindeer, hares, lemmings and geese as well as plants including poplar, birch and thuja trees and microorganisms including bacteria and fungi. DNA is the self-replicating material carrying genetic information in living organisms - sort of a blueprint of life.
Though ancient DNA is highly perishable, the study showed that under the right conditions - in this case permafrost - it can survive longer than previously believed possible. Willerslev said he now would not be surprised to find DNA from at least 4 million years ago. "We think it's because the DNA bound itself to mineral particles that enabled its survival beyond what was thought possible. The bond reduces the rate of spontaneous chemical degradation," Willerslev said.
Most knowledge about prehistoric organisms comes from studying fossils, but there is a limit to what these can reveal, particularly relating to genetic relationships and traits. That is where ancient DNA proves invaluable.
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