Hunt for the Oldest DNA | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS
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- Опубликовано: 5 июл 2024
- Follow the quest to recover DNA millions of years old for the very first time.
Official Website: 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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When was the ice age, oldest dna, ancient dna, extinct animals, paleontology, pliocene, eske willerslev, dna sequencing 
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Hi everyone! I'm the writer and director of the doc tonight, and I'm having a virtual watch party with you all. Eating pizza and answering your questions. Trying to, at least... Enjoy the show!
Very good to know!👍
Awe! Thank you for sharing this with us all
Do you believe what you've published?..... Just wandering...
I love these shows
Thank you very much
I feel energized and in awe of science, humanity, and the cycle of life….all within the span of an hour and without leaving my house. True magic! ❤️
That's awesome, Alyce. Thank you for leaving such a nice note.
Wonderful to hear, Alyce!
Gods handiwork
If ancient "DNA" is Harvested after "death" why all the plastic (trash/garbage/refuse/junk )protection gear having to be worn by the depicted scientists.
lol@@busterbeagle2167
Nova, I always appreciate your programs. Food for thought. Thank you.
This is fascinating! Thanks to all the scientists that do not accept “NO” as an answer!
Glad to hear it!
Yes, open minds please
And those post docs that were forced to
When the story first came out in the media, it had only a few of the enticing details included in this documentary. I grieved it might take many more years before any team could come together and tell more of story. Its almost a miracle to have such a fine presentation come at us so soon.
Dealing with cutting-edge scientific information often means wading through professional jargon and academic language that confuses the average person.
Somehow, NOVA/PBS, it's writer and producers not only got right to the job, they've made it interesting and understandable, without dumbing it down.
All over the World, are people with insights than can be added to this work now that its out in this format.
Speaking of academic jargon, one of the first things that teachers and professors try to get across to students of biology and agronomy, is to never use the word DIRT when they refer to SOIL. But then, nobody knew about "DNA Dirt" and its incredible significance.
Many thanks.
Thanks for this thoughtful comment! We knew about the research leading to the Greenland DNA breakthrough for many years, which made it possible to film "behind the scenes" in the lead-up to the publication. The scientists were willing to work with us to convey their results in accessible and engaging ways, but as I'm sure you know, that translation process is very challenging. It took two years to make this film, and one year since the publication, so I'm thrilled to read that it meant so much to you!
I did. I consciously left my dna places which meant something to me.
This was really, really well done. Better than most nova episodes. Definitely need more like this and more ancient history topics. So many advances in DNA and discoveries around the world the last few years we need updates!
We're working on it - DNA science is moving so fast that there are new stories emerging continually.
@@user-cs2go6em2j I’m both grateful to live in a time we’re learning so much and bummed I won’t be around to see what we’ve learned in 100-200 years. I’ve always loved the story of human migration from Africa, particularly throughout Europe and the Middle East; but with the new finds in the Americas like White Sands, and all the advances and breakthroughs in DNA research, I’ve quickly become absolutely fascinated by how and when humans or maybe even other human species may have reached the Americas. I’m a huge history nerd and I’m genuinely stoked about all the amazing work being done and all the new info we’re getting almost daily at this point!
You are right Andy, this was superbly done. I am talking up there in the 98 percentile of anything I have ever watched on Nova.
@@chuckfrezzel348 I agree with that statement. 10-15 years ago they had some really great productions on human evolution and migration but they’ve been few and far between. I like your assessment lol
This is amazing! Please keep doing more of this, Nova!!
Seriously! We need more ancient history from PBS.
Thanks!
Eske Willerslev has such a viscerally satisfying accent. I could listen to him for hours!
It is a bit distracting how much he sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Me too!
I love that. It's true - he's a special communicator!
I think I fell in love with him in the first 1 minute of speaking. I would listen until the end of Eternity
I needed him to say "What killed the dinosaurs? DE ICE AGE!"
Thank you Eske and your team! Your Brillance astounded me!😊
He's in Denmark, and we're taking the film to him and his team in March. I will pass on your comment.
Bravo for not giving up! Amazing discovery!
Thanks, I will pass that to Eske.
Wow, not only did this give me insight into the scientific discovery process, this show told me how this study of the past can be applied to our future. It explained why I should care. Such a compelling story!
If we could collect DNA from the future maybe more people would care about our present situation.
Wonderful to hear, Elizabeth! We really tried our best to convey the process of discovery, which is so challenging and fraught with risk. We think audiences are interested in that side of science, but you rarely see it in film and journalism.
The closest we can get to going back in time in a time. Machine is through DNA and this is the type of dna knowledge. I love to learn about
I would say photographs are the closest. But I get what your saying.
Well if you find any Paleolithic photos _PLEASE_ be sure to let us all know 😉 lol
@@Andy_Babb Kepler, Hubble, James Webb, etc. all have photos from billions of years ago.
@@paulis7319 Touché, sir. Touché. Well played. lol
@@Andy_Babb Don't take that shite! Original post meant on planet earth obviously to understand OUR past not the Universe(s). definetly agree with you. There is no selfie stick in the caveman paintings and human photographs are more emotional than scientific.
Very cool! Its amazing to know DNA survives so long.
Right?! On the other hand, most doubted it was possible.
DNA is everywhere, that’s how the earth was seeded. Apparently there’s also DNA in the universe everywhere. There has to be life everywhere throughout the universe considering that it is never ending. We can’t be that naïve, human advancements will continue to get better the faster the computers are.
My humble thanks to all involved. Very fascinating.
It was a privilege, Guy. Thank you.
This was a magnificent story told so well. It is wonderful to see the human side of science told with humor. Eske is inspiring as a scientist and as a human being.
Thank you for saying it, Christine. He's a rare communicator.
Amazing documentary. This just goes to show how important our imaginations are.
Right?!?
Nova is the best. Always fascinating! Kudos to the writer/director of this segment.
Thank you very much! Very encouraging to read.
Another reminder to always take the visionaries seriously, as they inevitably are the first to lead. And another illustration of how beauty and understanding can flower from the most humble and mundane materials.
There is a fine line between "visionary" and crackpot. You need evidence first before making claims. Thats Science. You don't just take it on a whim hoping it to be true
That's right, Barry. The history of science is replete with visionary mavericks.
Yea. If you “always take the visionaries seriously” then you will be following idiots most of the time.
@@williscopeland7114No you will be following people who dont make claims before they have sufficient evidence. What you want is someone who agrees with whatever you already believe.
Just missed the party but watching it now...love this topic.
I’ve always thought it would be interesting to do a dna profile of ancient people, such as battlefield victims at Towton, and then see if current relatives could be located through DNA genealogy.
That would not be impossible. In terms of aDNA preservation, that is practically yesterday.
I thought scientists already did that. I thought anytime they dug up a body they did dna. My daughter did her dna and the site matched her to a viking burial in Sweden.
This production quality is amazing! 😍
It brings me such joy that Nova is still going strong
Me to - they are great partners to work with!
RIP the careers of those post-docs who tried to sample the Greenland DNA before the technology was there :(
Willerslev understated the case when he called himself a bad supervisor. How nice that he seems to have outsourced the blame for the failures onto his grad students. How many careers did he kill, I wonder? 🤔
I was thinking the same thing, I hope they all found fulfilling careers.
20:34 A new record is for media wow factors. A new precedence is what science is all about... finding them. A new place to stand. A new perspective.
Wow. Blew my mind. There's got to be a grain of quartz sand with dino dna buried out there somewhere.
Oh, wouldn't that be amazing?!
One must not forget that plate tectonics that can be traced back can show when species of fauna had the opportunity to migrate into all locations including Greenland.
Latitudes wouldn't be all that much different 3 million years ago
True. But the Canadian Arctic archipelago was connected to Greenland in Pliocene for other reasons. The Ice Age glaciers created the present pattern of straights and waterways in the Arctic, whereas in the Pliocene, the landmass appears to have been connected.
i'm glad PBS exists
This is amazing! Thanks for doing what you do. Cheers and thanks!
You're welcome, Luke. A pleasure!
Excellent documentary on ancient DNA, specifically linking the knowledge on how this new discovery of ancient DNA in the final minutes of this video may provide solutions helping humanity if we human ignore/failed where most scientists trying hard to educate general public to take care mother earth!
Thank you, Frederick! Very perceptive - the seeds are now with us to employ aDNA to help life adapt to the warming world.
It is life boat type work our modern economy will sink if this becomes really useful stuff. Unfortunately our tribalism instinct that cause Chimps to war to the death over nothing at all and breaks populations into waring sides is holding us way back. Add in greed in some at the top it been a very hard problem to over come. And zealots who stretch to all are going to die don't help as they harm credibility. Massive economic harm, massive refugee problems, probably a few billion dead good enough reasons to want to slow climate change down as much as we can.
I now have the voice of the Terminator stuck in my head saying "And it all started with the dog pooping in the rain"
This documentary just blew me away. The scientist and narrator was a very unique individual. His passion and focus is incredible. One of the best documentaries I have ever seen, on any topic. I’m 64 and my thirst for knowledge has never stopped. Absolutely fantastic!
What an incredible legacy to a lifetime of original thinking
This was so absolutely fascinating. I am just a grandma in Idaho but I feel like you broke it down in such a way that I could understand it. I loved the party streamer and confetti, and the Tolstoy and snippets of words analogies. Really brilliant.
From Florida U.S.A. Amazing science, WONDERFUL, HOPEFUL documentary. Loved it
Thanks, Maureen!
THIS! This rocked my world (yes the pun is intended) I am in awe, it inspires me, gives me hope. Everything else going on in the world feels like noise, it isn't helpful or productive. This right here are people who are using all their passion brain power, resources, time and energy to find a way to save humanity if they can...dirt, a blade of "grass" and creating a library of information for the future. My gawd.
Archer, I am so thankful for your comment. As science filmmakers, we're always doubting ourselves: do people care, is this going to reach anyone, are we too deep in our own "nerdhole"? It's people like you who give me hope.
I want to know what DNA they find as the push the envelope in this technology. Give us an update in the future please.
Sure, please give us three years, and we'll be back with an update...
Trying! Your positive comments will help us convince NOVA to commit to future films about ancient DNA breakthroughs.
what a presentation !!! i thought i could never warm up enough to the DNAs, thanks.
Whew! Glad we landed it!
It's a shame that you can be doing science correctly, but if as an early career scientist you're in a lab that doesn't produce publishable results, it tanks your chances of a further career, before you ever had the chance to lead a team and direct your own research. I really feel for Eske's students who got the short end of the stick
I should tell you that most of Eske's students have gone on to brilliant careers. We just really wanted to convey the high stakes of working at the bleeding edge of science.
"The bleeding edge of science"!!! well done!@@user-cs2go6em2j
This is something programs always need to grapple with for their PhD students and postdocs. I believe a scientist who correctly designed a project and executed it to the best of their ability without getting publishable or 'positive' results still deserves to graduate and still deserves consideration for further work or postdoctoral appointments.
The scientific process absolutely requires failures and we do continue to learn from those. You should not need a 'bullseye' in your project to prove you are worthy of graduating. The fact you work on the cutting edge competently should be sufficient to move you forward.
The one question I have after watching is if the students who 'failed' to find the desired results did not pursue science further because they dropped out, failed out, quit, or for other reasons. I can understand if they were demoralized, but I am aggrieved if they were forced out in any way.
@@verity3616 (second reply because I forgot to add this part) I assumed from the way the students spoke about it that they were unable to get further in their careers not due to a disinterest, but due to road blocks. But I don't know anything beyond what was presented in this video
Superlative program in every way. Not dumbed down. Not too technical. Marvelous supporting graphics, and several very engaging experts.
Wonderful to hear you think so. It was a very challenging balance to strike!
@@user-cs2go6em2j I cannot BEGIN to imagine just how challenging it was! 😂
Unbelievable! Amazing! How exciting this is! Thank you for saving the future!
Haven't managed that yet! But want to!
Regardless of "Jurassic Park", "2001: a space odyssey" has come and gone... but will never fade away.
My kids think I have the oldest cringiest DNA ever
The content was OK but beware, the sound track is not only mind numbing but so freaking loud it will pulverize your ears. You have to turn it up enough to hear the words but by then the soundtrack is excruciatingly loud. For some reason this seems to be a trend. Directors, please drop the volume of the sound track so we can hear the ideas without muting and reading the captions.
Wow. Keep complaining about amazing free content.
I feel like everyone needs to watch this. Just to show how important science is for our future.
This is one of the most amazing stories I have ever heard and it was told magnificently. Thank God for free thinkers like Eske, Astrid, Mikkal and all the others who worked on this. Fantastic and thank you.
I will see them in three weeks, and I will convey your comment to them. They'll be tickled!
This channel is sexy, sharp and smart, and free on RUclips. What’s not to love? ❤
pretty cool docu. The graphics and animations really helped bring what was being said to life and helped with understanding
I'm glad you feel that way - there were 291 different animated sequences in the film. Making them was one of the most challenging aspects of this project, but we feel it payed off.
I love this science. By the time they print educational history books, history changes. Thank you.
Now I'm wondering if his technique for finding DNA bonded to minerals could be used to find DNA from fossils that are fossilized by minerals replacing bone. Those same minerals could be bonding to the DNA in those fossils. And while they said they were looking at DNA from around the world, the only place they reported on getting a more complete environmental picture was Greenland. Where else are they finding ancient DNA from, and what kind of picture is that painting?
So many good questions. Eske and his team are now opening their search to all accessible areas of the Arctic (ie. not Russia), and we are going with him to Arctic Canada this summer. But the question of DNA preservation in mineralized fossils is still unknown - the thinking is that you need some organic preservations for amino acids to persist.
Outstanding, Admire Your Tenacity Prof. and the Film Maker for the Education. Hope it turns out Well, for All.
Fantastic segment. Great science communicators! Even someone with little knowledge of DNA can understand. Thank you Eske and all the communicators.
You're welcome, Kirk. We tried very hard to strike a balance between spectacle and complexity. It helps to work with excellent science communicators like Eske!
I love how Eske describes how to read fragments of DNA to "War and Peace"; and looking for fragments in all the books in the library. Truly helps me to get an idea of just how hard a task he set. Thank you. 🙂
Great job!! The plot and character development are superb and I am a tough critic. This is top notch work.
Thanks Chuck! I appreciate your compliment.
I have not seen such an inspirational video of what are past and future hold for us!
Thanks Oscar - that means a lot!
This has to be one of the best if not the most brilliant documentaries I have EVER watched… THANK YOU!!!
Thanks NOVA for giving me a lifetime now of interesting concepts. I've literally been in awe for decades now. Especially now in recombining traces of our ancestral lives. The deep past is where we need more answers.
Far flung places, weren't always that way. They were once popular places. The traces are there.
So exciting to see new discoveries through Nova! I was hooked the entire time😮
What a fabulous program! I would love to meet Eske. As a scientist, myself, I am energized and excited to know that there is still hope, and inspiration in wonderful people like these to keep the future safe.
remarkable people doing remarkable work!!!
thanks for this documentary
Loved this program and finding out about this new DNA detection program. It can change the world from what we know now to be able to change the future for the better.
Wonderful. Thank you!
I just watched this via PBS and wow! Incredible!
So fascinating. Such dedication to their craft. Can't wait for more discoveries
Truly thought provoking. Thank you to everyone that produced this.
Thanks!
Brilliant! Just brilliant! Please continue persisting in your quest to expand scientific knowledge! And thank you to NOVA/PBS for realizing the importance of this discovery, and making it available to everyone!
Thanks to the scientists for their awesome work! Spectacular presentation ❤
You're welcome, Maria!
OmG! I felt like a 50yo kid loving every minute 😊Learning is So fun❤
This was such a thrill to watch!!!!!
That hour went so fast! Amazing work and information. I want a part two to this!!
Wonderful to hear, Jeff!
Spellbinding search by a man who loves our planet and is sharing it with us. I am filled with awe to get to see and hear this at 78 years old. Thank you for giving me hope for our world.
Amazing blown away and excited. I want so bad to be a part of something as great as this .......😮
The way I feel it's gotta be my DNA.
Excellent production! I love the animations and emotions ❤
this guy is amazing .. love this documentary
That’s F’n amazing. Like… damn. Science bows my mind
Love it!
WOW!! Folks if you only watch from 48min to 53 min you'll learn the most important message of this research. Still, the rest of the program is fascinating and a great lesson in why intelligent questioning of the established doctrine in any field of knowledge is so important.
We wanted to leave a seed with our audience, because the use of aDNA to change present-day organisms is only now beginning. Next film!
I love Nova ❤ takes me back as a kid 🧒🏽
Thank you to all the scientists who refused to say No, and gave me hope for my Grandsons future. And that all happened tonight in one hour of watching this show on Nova.
Hope is wonderful!
Gives me hope for my Grandchildren's future. Thank you for using language that us non-scientist can comprehend.
Absolutely fascinating documentary, well written, riveting. Thanks for posting!
Edit: just to add how much I love and admire your imagination, enthusiasm, and your dedication to this project.
Thank you very much. This is such a challenging and fascinating subject, and it was a privilege to spend two years dedicated to crafting a story with it.
Great work, Eske. You turned out to be a pioneer after all.
Right?!? It was never a sure thing.
Bravo a fine documentary, a good story and a look to the future.
This is amazing, give me so much hope😊
Wish I'd have caught this live!! Sooo amazing!! Thank-you for never giving up! 🎯💯
PBS and Nova are amazing. 30 years ago when I was a little kid and up to present day I can't get enough. Support your PBS stations!
I personally prefer the old style of documentary (“boring” and factual)
But wow this Hollywood interview stylized versions of documentaries make for some entertaining stuff
Great work making something already interesting feel like you’re there with em
Feels like you’re in a group, high af, and someone is telling a story really well
Thanks! We tried to strike a balance between spectacle and complexity, without ever condescending to our brilliant viewers. I'm glad you're giving us a pass on this one!
Love it!Science rocks!I took extra science,English,psychology,pre-nursing.Hopefully this will encourage kids to want to learn more& enjoy education enough to make something of themselfs.thanks- 29:55
Dang......This was AWESOME. Must watch
Thanks!
An awesome video. Genetic study is important
Hi Niobe Great doc. Of course I love NOVA.
Thanks muffin - it was three years of fascinating work!
Amazing documentary! Frightening yet hopeful future for humanity.
There are two apparent issues with the discoveries mentioned as they relate to the shot gun method. One, the clear presence of camel fossil in that region and no ancient DNA match in the dirt. Two, the apparent presence of mastodon DNA in the dirt, but no mastodon fossils yet discovered there.
The voice of Eske is amazing! I could listen to a lecture and probably be so relaxed and focused on what he says, he could be talking about the most boring thing in the world and I would watch!!!
Why am I SO INVESTED in this journey??!!! Keep going. I can’t wait to watch this project progress.
Right on, Jerry. The story continues, and we are actively filming with Eske on the next steps.
What an enormous leap in knowledge! Achieving the process is just the start. I might imagine a day where the findings in the collected data reveal things so significant that this will, in comparison, seem like a only tiny step.
Soil proteomics takes us back even further.
But tells us less...
Wow, nicely done, human tenacity in breaking barriers, rock on!
Just saw another documentary by the same professor about the ancient DNA of aboriginals and Europeans. That was also an amazing documentary. Science has come so far just within few decades. It's hard to even believe if you think about the knowledge available to everyone all over the world with just internet connection.
Thank u for
Show 85 never too old to learn
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A very positive and interesting documentary. I find it constructive that scientists are working with their gained knowledge to prepare for the future of climate change.
This is an interesting documentary. 😊🔬
thanks Heroes , i appreciate the science, DNA rebuild, future , save the world and study the past.