Jurassic Park Fact Check: Could Dinosaur DNA Really Survive In Amber?

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The original Jurassic Park is a timeless movie filled with fantastical science fiction, but it needs a major science fact check. Can amber really preserve dinosaur DNA to survive through time? Whether it is pure fiction or is based in truth, the question has become a central vexation to fans of the Universal Studios dinosaur epic that has spawned an expansive franchise.

Considered a gargantuan classic of the twentieth century, Jurassic Park was directed by Steven Spielberg for release in the summer of 1993. Jurassic Park, an adaptation of Michael Crichton's 1990 novel, suggests that scientists found fragmented dinosaur DNA and successfully filled in the genetic holes with frog DNA. The intrepid John Hammond used this technology to open Jurassic Park, an ambitious theme park where dinosaurs are the main attraction. Jurrasic Park was intent on emphasizing real-world science and enabling the idea to seem feasible.

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While it might come as a disappointment for those hoping to reenact Jurassic Park, dinosaur genes confined in amber could not actually survive to the present day. Famously, the film illustrated the concept of dinosaur blood trapped inside hardened fossilized tree resin (amber), which remained viable for analysis and reproduction over millions of years. In reality, the blood and tissue of a once-living creature are not able to remain intact for millions of years inside amber, meaning there would be no viable DNA to study. While it might be a nice idea, the preserving properties of amber have their limits, and DNA would not be able to survive even in a partially broken down form as with Jurassic Park. So while the concept of cloning an