The study of ancient DNA is helping to solve modern crimes
Such techniques have helped secure two convictions this year
ESKE WILLERSLEV was an unusual witness for a murder trial. An expert in ancient DNA (aDNA) at the University of Copenhagen, his day job involved studying the lives of prehistoric peoples and extinct megafauna. And yet over the summer of 2024 he was asked to persuade a jury that he had something to offer in another field altogether: crime-scene investigation.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “The faintest trace”
From the October 26th 2024 edition
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Deforestation is costing Brazilian farmers millions
Without trees to circulate moisture, the land is getting hotter and drier
Robots can learn new actions faster thanks to AI techniques
They could soon show their moves in settings from car factories to care homes
Scientists are learning why ultra-processed foods are bad for you
A mystery is finally being solved
Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever
Concerns about some of their business models are building
The two types of human laugh
One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else
Scientists are building a catalogue of every type of cell in our bodies
It has thus far shed light on everything from organ formation to the causes of inflammation