Scientists for the first time managed to sequence the genome of a plant that died out 2,000 years ago

Researchers from the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology at New York University Abu Dhabi successfully

sequenced the genome of previously extinctvarieties of palmate date (Phoenix dactylifera). This type of palm tree grew more than 2 thousand years ago. Seeds of Phoenix dactylifera L were recovered from archaeological sites in the southern Levant region and have been radiocarbon dated from the 4th century BC to the 2nd century AD.

Scientists germinate seeds to create new onesviable plants. They then sequenced the genomes of now-sprouted specimens of the ancient plants and used the data to study the genetics of previously extinct date palms.

Thus, scientists for the first time managed to sequence the genome of an extinct plant.

The authors of the work noted that they were lucky thatDate palm seeds can live for a long time—in this case, more than 2 thousand years—and germinate with minimal DNA damage in the dry environment of the region.” Scientists call the “resurrection genomics” approach “an extremely effective way to study the genetics and evolution of past and possibly extinct species.” “By reviving biological material—ancient seeds from archaeological, paleontological sites or historical collections, we can not only study the genomes of lost populations, but also rediscover genes that have already disappeared,” the scientists conclude.

Recall date palms (Phoenix dactylifera)- one of the oldest crops cultivated in Mesopotamia in the fourth millennium BC. The Kingdom of Judea, which emerged in the 11th century in the southern part of the Kingdom of Israel, became famous in many ways for its date groves.

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