It would add a completely different and revolutionary layer of information to a picture that was already extraordinarily rich by the standards of early American archaeology.

Why Ancient DNA Is So Hard

To understand what the sequencing of USR1’s genome accomplished, it helps to understand how difficult the process is and why ancient DNA from Arctic sites is both more and less tractable than ancient DNA from other environments.

DNA is an unstable molecule.

After an organism dies, the DNA in its cells begins to fragment and chemically degrade.

Bacteria colonize the remains and begin to break down organic material, including DNA.