There have been numerous stories about forensics cases that were solved decades later. These types of stories may have you asking, “how long can DNA last?” The answer may surprise you.
DNA degrades over time, but depending on how it is preserves, it can still last a long time. So what is a long time exactly? Researchers have determined, that the “half-life”of DNA (aka the point where half of the bonds in a DNA molecule background with break down) is 521 years. Yes — 521 YEARS.
In ideal situations, DNA could last up to 6.8 MILLION YEARS.