Digging deep: DNA molecules in ancient dirt offer a treasure trove of clues to our past

By Mike W Morley, Associate Professor, Flinders University
Diyendo Massilani, Postdoctoral research fellow, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Matthias Meyer, Group Leader, Advanced DNA Sequencing Techniques Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Richard 'Bert' Roberts, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Wollongong

Genetic analysis of intact blocks of sediment from archaeological sites reveals that microscopic fragments of fossil bone and faeces are the main sources of ancient DNA.

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