Hunting Mammoth DNA (broadcast Friday, September 28th, 2007)

25,000 year old fossil mammoth hair from the Indigirka River. Image courtesy of A. Sher, F. Shidlovskiy, Ice Age Museum, Moscow

A research team has managed to extract DNA from a strand of mammoth hair. The old hair, they say, is a better source of the ancient DNA than trying to extract it from old bone or muscle samples. What can the findings tell us about how mammoths lived -- and can the technique be used to learn more about other prehistoric animals? Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests

Tom Gilbert
Assistant Professor, Biological Institute
Centre for Ancient Genetics
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark

Related Links

• Mammoth Hair Yields Ancient DNA, Study Says
• Mammoth hair yields 'fantastic' DNA - LiveScience - MSNBC.com

Segment produced by:Karin Vergoth

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