Greenland once was green, research finds

DNA recoveries show that it was warmer, too

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ice-covered Greenland really was green 500,000 or so years ago, covered with forests in a climate much like that of Sweden and eastern Canada today.

An international team of researchers recovered ancient DNA from the bottom of an ice core that indicates the presence of pine, yew and alder trees as well as insects.

The researchers, led by Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, say that the findings are the first direct proof that there were forests in southern Greenland.