Post by L Roebuck on Sept 3, 2007 7:52:35 GMT -5
Greenland really was green, world's oldest DNA reveals
Deborah Smith Science Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
THE oldest DNA found on earth has been collected from under a kilometre of ice in Greenland, revealing that the frozen island really was once green.
Half a million years ago Greenland was covered by lush forests filled with butterflies, moths and the ancestors of beetles, flies and spiders. The finding has implications for global warming, suggesting the Greenland ice sheet, which holds enough water to raise sea levels by seven metres, might not melt as quickly as thought.
A Danish-led team, including the Australian researcher Michael Bunce, extracted the ancient DNA from the muddy bottoms of cores drilled deep into the ice cap in southern Greenland. The researchers identified genetic traces of a surprising variety of tree species, including spruce, pine and yew. The team believes the DNA is between 450,000 and 800,000 years old, based on their analysis of insect genetic material.
Full Article
Deborah Smith Science Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald
THE oldest DNA found on earth has been collected from under a kilometre of ice in Greenland, revealing that the frozen island really was once green.
Half a million years ago Greenland was covered by lush forests filled with butterflies, moths and the ancestors of beetles, flies and spiders. The finding has implications for global warming, suggesting the Greenland ice sheet, which holds enough water to raise sea levels by seven metres, might not melt as quickly as thought.
A Danish-led team, including the Australian researcher Michael Bunce, extracted the ancient DNA from the muddy bottoms of cores drilled deep into the ice cap in southern Greenland. The researchers identified genetic traces of a surprising variety of tree species, including spruce, pine and yew. The team believes the DNA is between 450,000 and 800,000 years old, based on their analysis of insect genetic material.
Full Article