Getting mammoth samples are just a byproduct
Edinburgh scientists discover mammoth secret in ivory DNA
[Via BBC News – Science & Environment]
Researchers at Edinburgh Zoo have found woolly mammoth DNA inside ivory trinkets from the illegal trade.
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William Gibson famously said “The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed.” Well it is getting more distributed every day.
DNA sequencing technology has dispersed so far that a single lab in Cambodia can be used to track the illicit elephant tusk trade. And even pick up a few mammoth samples.
No one was thinking of this when the human genome was sequenced almost 20 years ago. Where will the technology be in another 20?
Image: Eric Kilby
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