This ancient DNA revolution is unlocking just how interconnected we are
Researchers are using the latest genetic sequencing technology to understand to a surprising degree the movements and interactions of very ancient humans.
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JUDY WOODRUFF: Now: who we are and how we got here. Jeffrey Brown takes a time traveling look at how modern researchers are using the latest DNA sequencing technology to understand the movements and interactions of very ancient humans. It is the latest in our weekly science series, the Leading Edge. JEFFREY BROWN: It's a trip into the deep human past in a lab at the Harvard Medical School, disposable Tyvek suits, gloves, headgear, all required to avoid contamination of the ancient bones being studied here. DAVID REICH, Harvard Medical School: The bones that we're looking at right now are about 5,000- or 6,000-year-old samples from Italy. And we're trying to understand population transformations in Italy over time. JEFFREY BROWN: David Reich, who heads this lab, is at the forefront ...
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JUDY WOODRUFF: Now: who we are and how we got here. Jeffrey Brown takes a time traveling look at how modern researchers are using the latest DNA sequencing technology to understand the movements and interactions of very ancient humans. It is the latest in our weekly science series, the Leading Edge. JEFFREY BROWN: It's a trip into the deep human past in a lab at the Harvard Medical School, disposable Tyvek suits, gloves, headgear, all required to avoid contamination of the ancient bones being studied here. DAVID REICH, Harvard Medical School: The bones that we're looking at right now are about 5,000- or 6,000-year-old samples from Italy. And we're trying to understand population transformations in Italy over time. JEFFREY BROWN: David Reich, who heads this lab, is at the forefront ...
