How long can ancient DNA survive, and how much stuff do we need to escape poverty?

Pushing ancient DNA past the Pleistocene, and linking agriculture to biodiversity and infectious disease

First up on this week’s show, Staff Writer Erik Stokstad brings a host of fascinating stories, from the arrival of deadly avian flu in the Galápagos to measuring the effect of earthworms on our daily bread. He and host Sarah Crespi start off the segment discussing just how much stuff you need to avoid abject poverty and why measuring this value can help us balance human needs against planetary sustainability.
 
Other stories from Erik mentioned in this segment:
 
●     Elephant trunk’s ‘stunning’ microscopic musculature may explain its dexterity | Science
●     ‘Mind-boggling’ sea creature spotted off Japan has finally been identified | Science
 
Next up on the show, as part of a special issue on ancient DNA, freelance producer Katherine Irving talks with Love Dalén, a professor of evolutionary genomics at the Centre for Palaeogenetics at Stockholm University. They talk about the longevity of ancient DNA and what it would take to let us see back even further. See the whole ancient DNA special issue here.
 
This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.
 
About the Science Podcast
 
Authors: Sarah Crespi, Erik Stokstad, Katherine Irving
 
Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl1587
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