Ancient Dna Offers Clues About Climate Change (broadcast Friday, July 6th, 2007)

A basal ice core from the Dye3 deep drilling program taken in 1981. Image courtesy of Dorthe Dahl-Jensen.

What can ancient DNA can tell us about the effects of climate change? Researchers analyzing ice cores drilled deep from beneath Greenland have amplified samples of DNA trapped within the ice and found that Greenland may have once been quite green. The DNA samples, thought to be the oldest ever recovered, indicate that some 450,000 to 900,000 years ago, boreal forests of spruce, pine, alder and some members of the yew family flourished in Greenland. The researchers also found samples of DNA from butterflies and spiders in their sample, but no genetic material from larger creatures. We'll talk about the work and what it can tell us about the past, and, possibly, about the future. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests

Eske Willerslev
Professor, Evolutionary Biology Section
Ancient DNA and Evolution Group
Director, Centre for Ancient Genetics
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark