Remnants of ancient viral pandemics in the form of viral DNA sequences embedded in our genomes are still active in healthy people, according to new research my colleagues and I recently published.

View Full Profile. Learn about our Editorial Policies. Ancient DNA dating to between 16,000–18,000 years ago—the oldest human DNA to be extracted in Africa so far—reveals that populations of ...

Analysis of sedimentary ancient DNA has illuminated 6,000 years of the lives of Adélie penguin colonies on Antarctica's Ross Sea coast, showing how animals in the region responded to climate and ...

At the Medical Science Centre of Vilnius University, researchers are unlocking hidden health secrets from ancient DNA, and the possibilities for modern medicine are vast. Associate Professor Dr.

The extraction of genetic material from archaeological remains, known as ancient DNA, is helping scientists gain insights into our distant past. With advances in sequencing technology, these ...

For decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. But life’s genetic blueprint is incredibly fragile, and researchers have struggled to find DNA in fossils that could ...

Scientists have used ancient DNA to help reconstruct 6,000 years of penguin history at the South Pole. The researchers found that Adélie penguins had taken over the habitat of southern elephant ...

Only a handful of labs work on ancient DNA research. Scientists can retrieve DNA from human bones, teeth or tissue from museum collections, as well as from ancient cave dwellings, burial grounds ...

Studies of ancient DNA have tended to focus on frozen land in the northern hemisphere, where woolly mammoths and bison roamed. Meanwhile, Antarctica has received relatively little attention.