Unraveling the Enigma: The Secrets of 144-Year-Old Zombie Seeds Revealed
Researchers conducting a 144-year-long experiment on "zombie seeds" buried by botanist William Beal have discovered a surprising hybrid plant among the buried buds. The 16th bottle contained a genetic mix of two different species of Verbascum, one of which was deliberately not included in the experiment. The discovery was made through DNA analysis, which would have amazed Beal since DNA was unknown at the time. The researchers are unsure how the hybrid was created but speculate that Beal mistook the seed for a regular one. The experiment, which aims to determine the viability of dormant seeds, may need to extend the time between bottle extractions to every 30 years as only four bottles remain.