Recovering ancient DNA from grasshoppers helps unlock evolutionary history

Greg Howard
4th February, 2026

Recovering ancient DNA from grasshoppers helps unlock evolutionary history

A pre-treatment step enhances DNA extraction yield from museum grasshopper specimens (a), and while DNA becomes more fragmented with specimen age (b), the non-destructive method successfully preserves the specimen's external morphology (c, d).

Image adapted from: Tang et al. / CC BY (Source)

Key Findings

  • This study developed a simple, non-destructive method to extract DNA from dried grasshopper specimens collected over 6–43 years, preserving their physical form
  • The process successfully recovered enough DNA from most specimens to sequence their mitochondrial genomes, aiding evolutionary studies
  • DNA extraction efficiency decreased with specimen age, but the method still worked for many samples over 40 years old, with younger specimens yielding higher quality DNA
Museum collections of grasshoppers, like those held by institutions such as Shaanxi Normal University and Københavns Universitet, represent a significant, yet often untapped, resource for understanding the evolutionary history and ecological relationships of these insects. However, obtaining genetic information from these specimens has traditionally been difficult. Historically, accessing this data required destructive sampling – physically taking parts of the insect – which compromises the long-term value of the collection for morphological research (the study of physical characteristics). Furthermore, the molecular techniques involved can be complex and expensive, limiting accessibility for many researchers.[1] addresses this problem by developing a new, non-destructive method for extracting DNA from dried grasshopper specimens. The core challenge lies in the degradation of DNA over time. As specimens age, their DNA breaks down into smaller and smaller fragments, making it harder to sequence (determine the order of genetic building blocks). This study focuses on optimizing a process to recover enough usable DNA from dried grasshoppers without damaging the physical specimen. The researchers achieved this through a carefully designed DNA extraction protocol, testing different “lysis conditions” – essentially, the chemical environment used to release the DNA from the insect tissue. This work builds upon previous efforts to extract DNA from preserved insect specimens[2]. Earlier research highlighted the importance of considering specimen preparation, tissue source, and archival age when working with historical DNA (hDNA).[2] demonstrated that the success of hDNA extraction is highly variable, and that improving methods to account for DNA degradation is crucial. The new protocol developed by directly tackles the issue of DNA degradation by focusing on efficient recovery even from older samples. The study involved testing the protocol on grasshopper specimens ranging in age from 6 to 43 years. The results showed that DNA extraction was successful for the majority of samples, yielding enough genetic material to assemble complete mitochondrial genomes. Mitochondrial genomes are particularly useful for evolutionary studies because they are relatively small and easy to sequence, and are inherited maternally, providing a clear lineage trace. Importantly, the researchers found that younger specimens consistently produced higher quality DNA. While specimens over 40 years old presented some challenges, the protocol still allowed for successful sequence assembly in many cases, and post-collection damage did not significantly hinder the process. The success of this method is partly attributable to the use of “low-coverage shotgun sequencing” – a cost-effective approach to DNA sequencing. This technique doesn't require a huge amount of DNA, making it ideal for working with degraded samples. Furthermore, the researchers provide clear guidance on how to process the resulting data, known as “short reads” (small fragments of genetic information), which is often fragmented in older specimens. The findings of align with earlier work on parasitic Hymenoptera, which demonstrated the feasibility of non-invasive DNA extraction from various insect body parts[3]. Like the grasshopper study,[3] found that age was a significant factor influencing the success of DNA sequencing. However,[3] focused on shorter genetic fragments (28S and COI genes) for species identification, whereas aimed for the more comprehensive assembly of entire mitochondrial genomes. The ability to obtain complete genomes provides a much richer dataset for evolutionary analysis. The protocol developed by is notable for its simplicity and accessibility. It requires minimal specialized molecular expertise and relies on standard sequencing services, meaning it can be readily adopted by a wider range of researchers. This is a significant advantage, as it unlocks the potential of museum collections for a broader scientific community. The methods employed, while straightforward, represent a significant advancement in the field of hDNA research, allowing scientists to access genetic information from valuable specimens without compromising their morphological integrity.

GeneticsPlant ScienceEvolution

References

Main Study

1) Non-destructive DNA extraction for recovering mitochondrial genomes from museum grasshopper specimens

Published 2nd February, 2026

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0341621

Related Studies

2) Mining museums for historical DNA: advances and challenges in museomics.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.07.009

3) DNA extraction from museum specimens of parasitic Hymenoptera.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0045549


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