Back
47· Steady
Health & Science3h 24m ago
Ancient squirrel poop found in Yukon permafrost contains traces of woolly mammoths, grasshoppers, steppe bison and ancient horses, as well as hundreds of plant species and some of the oldest DNA ever recovered.
Archive Window: 7 Days Left
Yukon, Canada
Who
Tyler Murchie, scientists, glod miners
What
Ancient squirrel poop found in Yukon permafrost contains traces of woolly mammoths, grasshoppers, steppe bison and ancient horses, as well as hundreds of plant species and some of the oldest DNA ever recovered.
When
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 22:09:13 GMT · 3h 24m ago
Where
Yukon, Canada ·
Why
The frozen poop offers a glimpse into Ice Age ecosystems.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discovery provides an unprecedented window into the environments and biodiversity of the Ice Age, enhancing our understanding of ancient ecosystems through exceptionally preserved genetic material.
Story chain
2 events in this thread- Health & Science3h 24m agoGold miners in the Yukon have found ancient ground squirrel burrows containing fossilized feces, which researchers led by Tyler Murchie have studied to find some of the oldest DNA ever recovered, dating from 30,000 to 700,000 years ago.Open article
- Currently Reading3h 24m agoAncient squirrel poop found in Yukon permafrost contains traces of woolly mammoths, grasshoppers, steppe bison and ancient horses, as well as hundreds of plant species and some of the oldest DNA ever recovered.