Maui officials have asked relatives to provide DNA samples to help identify victims of the Lahaina wildfires. Time and exposure to the elements, however, can make DNA retrieval from remains difficult.
45,000 years ago, people first started arriving in what’s known as Europe today. We thought a worsening ice age made them disappear – but it seems some lineages survived.
Only half of New Zealand’s roughly 4,000 mollusc species have been seen alive. Now geneticists can decode DNA from shells in museum collections to trace the life histories of extinct or rare species.
All 129 men who embarked on the Franklin expedition died. DNA analysis is being used to identify the remains.
(Shutterstock)
129 officers and crew died during the 1845 Franklin Northwest Passage expedition. DNA analysis from their remains of members can reveal the identity of the men who perished during the journey.
The debate about the reliability of forensic evidence reflects a lack of understanding of how forensic science is best used in the justice system, rather than a problem with forensic science itself.
The emperor penguin can grow up to 45 kilograms, making it the largest living penguin species.
Veronika Meduna
Genetic information extracted from fossil bones of two extinct penguin species shows the geological emergence of islands plays a role in penguin evolution.
Archaeology is not only about stones and bones: it is mainly about the people of the past. DNA is one way to get from the stones and the bones to the people and their stories.
Listening to audio derived from DNA may help scientists better understand how cell biology works.
Mark Temple
Computer dating for animals? Finding the right matchup - using DNA rather than personality questionnaires - could help select the best partnerships for captive breeding programs.
A three-dimensional volume rendering of the Tuli mummy.
SA Journal of Science
Modern techniques such as CT scanning and ancient DNA analysis have allowed scientists to discover a great deal about a mummy found in a shallow grave in Botswana.
DNA analysis reveals that there are three populations of Antarctic blue whales.
Paula Olson, courtesy of IWC
Antarctica’s blue whales all feed in the same place. But a new genetic analysis suggests they are actually three separate populations that breed in different parts of the globe.