A team of scientists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Appalachian State University collected DNA on Mount Everest and found the genomes of a pet dog and a chicken there.
Technology Networks writes about it.
The researchers collected DNA from water samples over four weeks in ten ponds and streams at an altitude of 4 500 to 5 500 meters. From only 20 liters of water, they identified organisms belonging to 187 taxonomic categories.
This is one-sixth of the total number of known lineages in the genealogical tree of Earthʼs biodiversity.
Samples were collected using a sealed cartridge. His filter captured the genetic material, which was then analyzed in a laboratory.
Scientists have identified a rotifer and a tarsier on Everest — two tiny creatures that are found in the harshest and most extreme conditions. They are considered one of the most resistant animals on Earth. The researchers also identified the Tibetan snow rooster, which is found in the Sagarmatha National Park.
Among the finds are pine trees, which are only found far downriver from where the scientists took the samples. This showed how high wind-blown pollen can go. In several places, they came across the DNA of mayflies, which are indicator species of environmental changes.
It came as a surprise to the researchers that there is DNA from a domestic dog and a chicken on Everest. In their opinion, it demonstrates how human activity affects the landscape.