Researchers Extract DNA From Ancient Resin Inclusions
Scientists at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment have successfully extracted genetic material from insects preserved in resin for two and six years. The method can be used for species identification.
Researchers at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment have successfully extracted genetic material from insects preserved in resin for two and six years. This breakthrough method can be used for species identification, including for extinct animals.
The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, aimed to systematically determine how long insect DNA can be preserved within resin inclusions. Mónica Solórzano-Kraemer from Senckenberg led the research, collaborating with first authors from the University of Bonn and other colleagues from Spain and Norway.
"We have absolutely no plans to breed dinosaurs," said Dr. Mónica Solórzano-Kraemer from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, referencing the movie "Jurassic Park." Instead, the researchers sought to understand the preservation potential of DNA in resin.
Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, the team analyzed Ambrosia beetles embedded in resin from Madagascar trees. Their findings confirmed that DNA remained intact in samples aged two and six years.
Previous attempts to extract DNA from millions-of-years-old amber or thousands-of-years-old copal have failed due to environmental factors degrading the genetic material. This new research suggests resin inclusions, at least from more recent geological periods, can yield viable DNA.
The researchers intend to apply their method to older samples to establish the precise limits of DNA preservation in resin. They noted that the presence of water within inclusions might play a role in DNA stability, making the extraction of functional DNA from millions-of-years-old amber unlikely.