What We Can Learn from Ancient DNA
How can analysis of DNA isolated from old, preserved organisms, bones, or tissues tell us about life today? Dr. Beth Shapio is a professor at the University of California Santa Cruz and an HHMI Investigator. She has studied the genomic information from ancient preserved sources to describe events and adaptations that underlie species evolution. In this episode we discuss the technology behind isolating ancient DNA, its utility in resolving evolutionary lineages, and understanding traits in populations and their relationships to their environment. We conclude with a discussion of gene editing ethics and application to conservation biology.