Thanks to the work of squirrels, researchers in Siberia were able to grow viableSilene stenophyllaplants from 32,000-year-old seeds.
They were buried 125 feet underground, deep in the Siberian permafrost.
The team was investigating the burrows of ancient squirrels when they made the discovery.
Fruit and seeds had been perfectly sealed from the elements thanks to the squirrels' burrowing techniques.
It’s a natural cryobank.
The resulting plants bloomed flowers and were fertile, according to astudypublished by the researchers.
Photo:Yashina, Gubin, et al
Interestingly, these ancient plants looked strikingly similar to the modern version that still grows in Siberia today.
Now, researchers in Austria are taking things a step further by investigating the DNA of these prehistoric plants.
Researchers are looking to sequence the DNA of plants grown from 32,000-year-old seeds.
