Ancient Egyptian DNA, Cheddar Man and wolves as pets
From A Question of Science by The Francis Crick Institute
April 1, 2026 · 25 min · Season 1 · Episode 18
About this episode
Professor Brian Cox explores ancient DNA with experts, discussing its implications for understanding human history and evolution.
Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of ancient DNA, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions. How far can we go back in time using DNA? How accurate is ancient DNA when it comes to understanding our past? Why was diversity in DNA vital for the survival of early humans? Do we really share 60% of our genetic code with bananas? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Professor Brian Cox
Topics covered
- ancient DNA
- human evolution
- genetic diversity
- genetics
- archaeology
Keywords
- ancient DNA
- genetic code
- human evolution
- Cheddar Man
- DNA diversity
- archaeology
- genetics
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Francis Crick Institute
Places: Ancient Egypt, Cheddar
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