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Oldest DNA reveals two-million-year-old lost world
The most ancient DNA ever sequenced reveals what the Arctic looked like two million years ago when it was warmer.
Today the area in North Greenland is a polar desert, but the genetic material, extracted from soil, has uncovered a rich array of plants and animals.
The scientists found genetic traces of elephant-like mastodons, reindeer and geese that roamed among birch and poplar trees, and of marine life including horseshoe crabs and algae.
Instead, the team turned to environmental DNA - or eDNA. This is genetic material that is shed from plants and animals - for example, from skin cells or droppings - and accumulates in their surroundings.
It's a technique that's now widely used in conservation. For example, studying the DNA found in a drop of sea water can reveal all of the creatures that have lived in a patch of ocean, even if you can't see the individual animals yourself.
In Greenland, the team used ancient soil samples to look back in time at the biology of the Early Pleistocene Epoch.
They found a forest ecosystem, with Arctic shrubs, herbs, ferns and mosses growing among the trees.
Among the discovery of DNA from creatures like rodents, reindeer and geese, the unearthing of mastodon DNA was a surprise - Prof Willerslev told the BBC no one had found the elephant-like creatures in Greenland before.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63867164