Chinese scientists have lately announced a great breakthrough in DNA research in which they discovered DNA molecules that could be abstracted, enlarged and sequenced in ancient plants buried in frozen earth on Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

The research has provided a very important basis for modern people to obtain the genetic information and study on creature evolution, thereby making it possible for scientists to decode species evolution.

It has long been a dream of many scientists in the study of evolution on ancient DNA molecules preserved in geological and historical conditions. For through the study, they can get to know the DNA time sequence of certain creatures and further to trace the time and space evolution of those creatures in geographical distributions and conditions.

According to Dr. Lin Qing, person in charge of the research, the minus temperature condition in the frozen soil on Qinghai-Tibet plateau and the sealed burial condition help ancient plants get better preservation. He extracted DNA from the plants of 1500 years ago, and further found that the plants were of the same family with Potamogeton.

( April 19, 2002)