Smithsonian Magazine: Ancient mummies finally give up their genetic secrets

[Virtual Post Bioclues]

 

EXCERPT:
> Historically, the idea of extracting DNA from an Egyptian mummy has been a bit like trying to suck dinosaur DNA out an insect trapped in amber: a tantalizing prospect, but still more myth than science. "This has been around for a long time as a hot topic," says Johannes Krause, a geneticist at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. But unlike the dino scenario, it turns out analyzing mummy DNA is actually scientifically possible.
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> Krause has spent his career teasing information out of very old DNA. His work has led to the discovery of a new subspecies of human, which he helped identify from a bone fragment in a European cave; he also definitively identified the disease behind the infamous Black Death by examining dug-up plague victims. Now he can add another ancient jewel to his list: mummies. His team has managed to extract the first intact DNA from thousands-year-old Egyptian mummies, allowing them to unravel the secrets of their genetic heritage.

Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-mummies-finally-give-their-genetic-secrets-180963518/

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