A study finds evidence of more than 100 plants and animals in northern Greenland, including the extinct elephant-like mastodon.
The findings could help researchers understand what to expect in a warmer future. Previous paleoclimatic records show the ancient ecosystem was 10 to 17 degrees Celsius warmer than modern-day Greenland. The DNA evidence could provide researchers clues on how these life-forms survived under extreme temperatures.“It’s actually the climate which is very similar to what we expect to face on Earth due to global warming,” said Willerslev, a professor at the University of Cambridge.
Over the years, researchers attempted to extract the samples but to no avail. Some even left academia after working on them, which led lab members to joke it was the “the curse of the Kap Kobenhavn Formation.”So paleoecologist Mikkel Pedersen wasn’t exactly ecstatic when Kjaer handed him the DNA-laden sediments. “I’ve seen the other people working on it who, after working on it, left academia. … So I didn’t feel very good,” said Pedersen at the University of Copenhagen.
Soon, a picture of the ancient forests, bays, flora and fauna came into focus. Yet the results were also puzzling — many of the uncovered animals and plants didn’t seem to make ecological sense. Plants and animals that are typically found in the Arctic were in the same ecosystem as those found inwhich is typically found in the Arctic. Yet the team also found poplars, deciduous trees usually found in boreal forests.
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