When camels roamed the Arctic

 

“Hunt for the Oldest DNA” is a recent release from PBS-Nova. The documentary discusses the biggest scientific breakthrough of 2022. A team of scientists headed by Eske Willerslev from Denmark managed to extract DNA from a soil sample taken at Kap Köbenhavn on Greenland. The DNA turned out to be over 2 million years old! The previous record holder was one million years old DNA from mammoth bones. Or, to be more precise, the oldest *accepted* ancient DNA.

During the 1990´s, even more sensational claims were published, including a supposed discovery of 80 million years old DNA from dinosaur bones (the creationists are still talking about that one). This virtual “Jurassic Park” territory was soon abandoned, however. As for Willerslev, he tried for 15 years to extract DNA material from the Kap Köbenhavn samples, without success. His samples were even known as “The Curse”, since grad students who tried their hand on them always failed (sometimes with detrimental results for their careers). Then came the 2022 breakthrough, and here we are.

Apparently, certain kinds of minerals can “bind” ancient DNA and make it less prone to degrade. The clay and quartz at the Greenland site have this effect. The discovered DNA is from the Pliocene, the last warm period before the onset of the ice ages. The most surprising find was the DNA of a mastodont. The docu also discusses Greenland camels, known from the fossil record but not yet from the DNA samples. The ecosystem uncovered was vast and complex. Despite the warm climate, half of the year was still Arctic night, raising questions about how the animals or plants survived.

Since the Pliocene was much warmer than today, the issue of current climate change inevitably comes up. Willerslev and his team believes that the quest for ancient DNA could have practical applications. Apparently, scientists have managed to identify an ancient poplar gene that made that particular tree adapted to growing in the darkness of the long Arctic night. This gene has been successfully implanted in barley, perhaps giving rise to a specimen that could be grown on Greenland if it ever becomes ice-free again due to man-made climate change. Similar experiments with wheat and other food crops are underway.

And yes, one of the US scientists featured sits in meditation posture on a chair throughout the interview. A real weirdo, if you ask me. The expert on camelids, I believe.

Slow-paced, and I had to watch it twice to really get it. But yeah, probably worth the research grants. Even so, most people probably prefer “Jurassic Park”…