A report released today reveals that a Russian team of scientists have discovered a collection of flowering seeds which were native to Siberia, which had been buried by an Ice Age squirrel!
Radiocarbon dating confirmed that the seeds were 32,000 years old.
The seeds which had been encased in ice, were unearthed from 38 meters below the permafrost, retained viable plant material.
According to a new study, the team extracted tissue from the frozen seeds, placed it in vials, and successfully germinated the plants. The plants grew and produced seeds themselves after a year.
This new study suggests that permafrost could be a "depository for an ancient gene pool," a place where any number of now extinct species could be found and resurrected.
Some scientists say regenerating seeds that have been frozen at 19 degrees Fahrenheit for so long could have major implications on biodiversity, but insight gained on seeds which have been frozen and how to thaw, and sprout them could be very valuable in saving plant species which are on the brink of extinction.
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