A woman seated at a white desk working on her laptop with a notepad and coffee mug nearby.

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Documentary Feature, 84’

Cinematographer | Ryan Wilkes

Director of Photography | Athan Merrick

Producer/Director | Niobe Thompson

Production Company | Handful of Films & HHMI Tangled Bank Studios for PBS NOVA

For decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. But life’s genetic blueprint is incredibly fragile, and researchers have struggled to find DNA in fossils that could survive millions of years. Then, one maverick scientist had the controversial idea to look for DNA not in fossils or frozen ancient tissue – but in dirt. Join the hunt as scientists decipher the oldest DNA ever found and reveal for the first time the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in a warm, lush Arctic.

A man with gray hair and glasses sitting in a dimly lit library with tall bookshelves filled with old books and a large stained glass window in the background.
An aerial view of a dark river with numerous light-colored, branching waterways or streams flowing through a black landscape.
A man with gray hair and glasses, wearing a brown jacket, sitting indoors near large windows with a wooded view outside.
Close-up photo of metal bars with printed markings, arranged in a stacked pattern, with focus on the middle row.
A scientist in full protective gear, including a hazmat suit, mask, and gloves, is working in a laboratory, handling a test tube.
Laboratory setting with a machine dispensing liquid into small test tubes, with test tubes filled with an orange-red liquid visible on the left side.
An aerial view of a volcano with steep slopes, surrounded by dark volcanic terrain and rivers, under a cloudy sky.
A woman sitting cross-legged on a stool in a museum surrounded by skeletons and fossils.
Large ice glacier meeting the sea with dark mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.
Sunset visible through tree branches with needle-like leaves, creating a warm glow and a silhouette effect.
A large waterfall cascading over a dark rocky cliff with mist rising at the base, illuminated with a warm, golden light.
Sunlight rays filtering through a forest with tall trees and silhouetted branches in the foreground, creating a warm, golden glow.
A frozen lake with small groups of hikers walking across, surrounded by snow-covered mountains and a partly cloudy sky.
Scientists in cold weather clothing working on a frozen landscape, with some holding equipment on ice, under a gray sky.
Close-up view of a ice glacier surface with vertical cracks and dark streaks