Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Niobe Thompson / Canada & United States / 2024 / World Premiere / 82 min
Led by star scientist Eske Willerslev, a team of researchers are sequencing DNA from before the Ice Age for the first time in history. A project that could revolutionise our understanding of the history of life itself.
Three million years ago, camels roamed the endless forests of Greenland and our ancestors lived in the trees. But it all ended with the Ice Age. What disappeared and what survived this epochal shift from warmth to cold? Until now, scientists have known less about the pre-glacial world than they did about the age of dinosaurs, which ended 64 million years ago. But now a team of scientists led by Eske Willerslev is on the trail of the oldest DNA ever found. Through stunning animations, the film draws surprising connections between the lost world and our own time. A picture emerges of a warm planet where forests covered the Arctic and carbon levels were similar to those found in our atmosphere today. A picture of our own climate future? What can the ancient genetic codes tell us about the current climate crisis? ‘The Hunt for the Oldest DNA’ is an epic journey back in time, using the ancient genetic codes as a time machine.