Fossilized ground squirrel droppings from the Yukon permafrost. The samples preserved ancient environmental DNA from an ecosystem that no longer exists. Credit: Scott Cocker.

Fossilized ground squirrel droppings from the Yukon permafrost. The samples preserved ancient environmental DNA from an ecosystem that no longer exists. Credit: Scott Cocker.

Fossilized ground squirrel droppings from the Yukon permafrost. The samples preserved ancient environmental DNA from an ecosystem that no longer exists. Credit: Scott Cocker.