Oldest DNA Ever Found

In the icy northern tip of Greenland, far into the Artic Circle, a deep bed of sediment bhas lain frozen and undisturbed for 2 million years.

Known as the Kap København Formation, this relic of a vanished world dates to a period when Earth was much warmer than it is today. This DNA has now been extracted, and scientists believe it to be the oldest DNA ever found.

 

Image: Image: Shutterstock: FOTOGRIN

Produced By: Andrew Herlinger

Featured In Story: Morten Allentoff, Professor, Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 14 December 2022