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Health & Science3h 8m ago

Scientists discovered a huge trove of ancient DNA, including from extinct woolly mammoths, in frozen squirrel feces in Canada's Yukon territory.

Yukon territory, Canada

Who
scientists, Tyler Murchie, Colossal
What
Scientists discovered a huge trove of ancient DNA, including from extinct woolly mammoths, in frozen squirrel feces in Canada's Yukon territory.
When
Thu, 11 Jun 2026 02:23:45 GMT · 3h 8m ago
Where
Yukon territory, Canada ·
Why
Arctic ground squirrels' 'natural archivist behavior' of packing burrows with various materials, combined with rising permafrost sealing them off, created preserved time capsules.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

This discovery offers a rare window into prehistoric life, potentially providing genetic data for de-extinction efforts like those for woolly mammoths, and highlights an overlooked method of paleontological research using ancient feces.

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