What’s happened: After an eight-year effort to recover DNA from Greenland’s frozen interior, researchers say they’ve managed to sequence gene fragments from ancient fish, plants, and even a mastodon that lived 2 million years ago. It’s the oldest DNA ever recovered.
How they did it: The researchers examined genetic material that was left behind by dozens of species and washed into sediment layers long ago. The DNA was preserved by freezing temperatures and bound to clay and quartz, which also slows down the process of degradation.
Why it matters: The genetic findings, which paint a picture of an era when Greenland was covered with flowering plants and cedar trees, could provide clues to how ecosystems adapted to warmer climates in the past. Read the full story.