In Antarctica, scientists have uncovered the world’s oldest marine DNA.
It could shed light on the evolution of marine life over the past million years and provide insight into how ocean ecosystems are impacted by long-term climate change.
This is significant since Antarctica is among the most vulnerable locations on Earth to global warming.
A multinational team of researchers led by the University of Tasmania in Australia discovered the shards of organic material beneath the Scotia Sea floor, north of the Antarctic.
Technically referred to as sedaDNA, which stands for sedimentary ancient DNA, the retrieved samples will likely aid scientists in understanding how future climate change may influence Antarctica.
This is by far the oldest documented marine sedaDNA to date, according to the principal researcher from the University of Tasmania, Dr. Linda Armbrecht.
SedaDNA is present in numerous habitats, such as terrestrial caverns and subarctic permafrost, where the material dates back as far as 650,000 years.
seda DNA can survive in polar marine habitats such as the Scotia Sea due to the frigid temperatures, low oxygen levels, and absence of ultraviolet light.
In 2019, scientists recovered DNA from the ocean floor.
It was then subjected to a thorough contamination control procedure to guarantee that the embedded age indicators were accurate.
Diatoms, or single-celled organisms, were among the organisms whose DNA was identified dating back 540,000 years.
This is significant because it allows scientists to better comprehend how this region of the planet has evolved over eons.
Researchers were able to establish a correlation between diatom abundance and warm periods, the most recent of which occurred in the Scotia Sea around 14,500 years ago.
This resulted in an increase in marine life activity throughout Antarctica.
Geologist Michael Weber from the University of Bonn in Germany stated, “This is an unusual and significant change that is related to a worldwide and quick increase in sea levels and substantial loss of ice in Antarctica due to natural warming.”
This recent study demonstrates that these sedaDNA approaches may be used to recreate ecosystems across tens of thousands of years, providing us with an entirely new perspective on how the oceans have evolved.
To obtain an authentic view of the past, scientists are steadily improving at collecting ancient DNA pieces from the ground and reducing the ‘noise’ and interference caused by present DNA.
Understanding more about historical climatic shifts and how the ocean ecosystem responded will result in more accurate models and forecasts for the future of the South Pole.
The researchers write in their published report, “Antarctica is one of the most vulnerable locations on Earth to climate change, and investigating the past and present reactions of this polar marine ecosystem to environmental change is an urgent topic.”
