In a groundbreaking study, scientists have uncovered traces of modern life embedded within ancient rocks, offering an unprecedented window into Earth’s biological past. The research reveals that DNA from living organisms can bind to soil and rock, surviving for hundreds of thousands or even millions of years.
Traditionally, fossilization has provided only limited insight, as most organisms decompose completely. But this new technique, known as sedimentary DNA (sedaDNA) analysis, allows scientists to reconstruct long-lost ecosystems, even identifying species that left no fossil record.
Researchers have used sedaDNA to show that woolly mammoths persisted in the Arctic far longer than previously believed and to trace the presence of soft-bodied organisms like worms.
Tony Brown of the University of Southampton explained in Geoscientist that DNA can become locked into well-preserved minerals under specific conditions.
This discovery transforms our understanding of evolution, revealing detailed snapshots of life once thought lost to time.
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