The world's oldest DNA: Extinct beasts of ancient Greenland

Two million year-old DNA found in frozen soil has been sequenced, revealing a surprising picture of an ancient landscape. Extinct creatures including, unexpectedly, elephant-like mastadons turn out to be among the beasts roaming Greenland. Researcher Eske Willerslev explains how DNA found in the environment can be used to reconstruct the past as so-called 'eDNA' becomes a vital tool for palaeontologists.

[sofiapozzo]

this scientist looks so happy, congratulations on your amazing work!

[rcisneros]

I just love that guy's smile. He is just gitty with excitement. Good for him and his team. Congrats!!

[footfault]

Paleogenetics? Exciting, isn't it? Also, challenging. Science can never become boring as technology advances. This footage is just a poster child of that kind!

[stephanieyee]

Eski is so engaging and explains his science in terms we can all understand. I'm happy that his years and years of research and toil have finally produced positive results. It's amazing to know that the DNA of so many creatures was identified in this ancient landscape. I wonder if plant DNA was able to survive as well? That would add another layer to the story of this ecosystem.

[messiahmatrix]

The nerd in me finds this stuff fascinating, the potential is to know the entire ecosystem of many different locations. Unfortunately permafrost wasn’t around 66 million years ago or beyond, that would have made some insane discoveries.

[rwisman]

Such a delight to see someone doing what they (obviously) love, science is so much fun!

[waynesmallwood]

I remrmber a decade or so ago DNA from soil indicated that the Great Megafauna Die-Off of 10, 000 years ago wasn't accurate, because they were still alive a possible 8-9, 000 years ago. The study was North American soil, I believe. It's somewhere in my notes.

[tominva]

I am curious what percentage of the Mastodon's DNA was recovered? Also, how did they ID it as being Mastodon DNA?v Complete DNA would be mind boggling!

[tdpay]

This isn't the world's oldest DNA -- it's not even the oldest DNA from that part of the world. Mummified wood from a 45-million-year-old semi-tropical forest on northern Canada's Axel Heiberg Island was sequenced by genetic researchers at the National University of Altai in Russia, and found to be almost identical to the DNA of modern woody plants.

[AnimeshSharma]

and we are literally scratching the surface here!

[chrisparti]

If the earth's temperature was 11C higher 2million years ago, then it makes total sense that extreme northern (and probably extreme southern regions) were more temperate and supported abundant life. It would be interesting to see what the climate and life was like at the same time period nearer the equator, that would have been unbearable, I'm sure. Also the water levels would have been much higher, so the coastline would be further inland than it is today.

[DonatellaNellieFatou]

2:12 💀 i swear i had the same idea few nights ago 😳
Glad i was sub to this channel. I learned a lot .
Thank you 🤗

[daxxonjabiru]

Dr. Bullwinkle might be onto something here!

[lenechristiansen]

Eske, and his identic twin, Rane, are Denmark´s Einsteins, and I am very proud to be a dane, watching or reading anything about their amazing trips to Sibiria or whereever they have been. Also very exciting, what Eske has found out about native America’s. Love from Denmark. ❤️🇩🇰. Lene

[bjarnelouager]

Eske du er for vild, forsæt det gode arbejde, jeg ønsker dig en tur til Stokholm ;-)

[andreaswagner]

Woud it be too crazy to look deeper into the fossilization process?
I mean, we are now able to determine certain colours of feathers on dinosaur folliles. As far as I remember that is, because certain minerals of feather colours are changing in predictable ways when they fossilize and thus give predictible results in fossiles.
Perhaps there is a chance to identify how DNA fossilizes and thus calculate backwards how it could have looked before the fossilization took place.

[Vagolyk]

Off to Antarcrica to find permafrost from older times perhaps?

[JohnVance]

This is outstanding. Maybe an all expense paid trip to Stockholm for someone.

[Erik-ggvb]

I wish they told use simple things in their research, like how they knew to core the slope middle way up the sand slope and then know that was where the 2 million year old area was.

[fleurdepapaye]

It is so skeptical, million years e-DNA sounds too good to be true. That e-DNA should be destroyed easily by the harsh conditions like UV-light, ions, oxidizers, radicals, etc.