Hunt for the Oldest DNA | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 07:15:04 +0000

Follow the quest to recover DNA millions of years old for the very first time.

Official Website: https://to.pbs.org/483Fzs7 | #novapbs

For decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. But life’s genetic blueprint is incredibly fragile, and researchers have struggled to find DNA in fossils that could survive millions of years. Then, one maverick scientist had the controversial idea to look for DNA not in fossils or frozen ancient tissue – but in dirt. Join the hunt as scientists decipher the oldest DNA ever found, and reveal for the first time the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in a warm, lush Arctic.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
06:08 Challenges of Recovering Ancient DNA from Soil
22:36 Searching for Ancient Animal and Plant DNA in Greenland
37:59 Accurately Dating the Ancient DNA
43:03 How Did DNA Survive So Long?
45:23 What Was Earth Like Before the Ice Age?
48:15 Lessons Learned from the Pliocene

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