ZSL #050 Mapping Nature's Code

About this episode

This episode explores how DNA impacts evolution and species survival, featuring insights from experts in genetic research.

How does our DNA, the tiny building blocks that make every species, and every individual, totally distinct, impact our evolution? In this episode, we learn how we can visualise our DNA, or genome, to allow us to better organise the tree of life, and how learning more about this genetic make-up can provide insights into how a species survives in the face of a changing environment. We head to Cambridge, to ring native UK birds and collect samples of their DNA, and then to the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to see learn how those samples are processed and sequenced as part of a collaborative project aiming to sequence the genomes of all eukaryotes in Britain and Ireland; the Darwin Tree of Life project. Overview 00:11 Harriet McAra, Host of Wild Science, Episode introduction 01:26 Bird ringing in Cambridgeshire and Dr Ava Jenkins, Wildlife Veterinarian and Postdoctoral Research Associate, ZSL Institute of Zoology 03:13 Professor Mark Blaxter, Head of the Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute 06:18 Dr Tom Mathers, Senior Computer Biologist, Wellcome Sanger Institute 12:44 A word of thanks 18:44 A final thought from Mark Blaxter 22:57 Outro Hi-C contact map of the common crane…

People in this episode

Host: Harriet McAra

Guests: Dr Ava Jenkins, Professor Mark Blaxter, Dr Tom Mathers

Topics covered

• DNA
• genome
• evolution
• species survival
• bird ringing
• genetic research

Keywords

• DNA
• genome
• evolution
• species
• bird ringing
• genetic sequencing
• Darwin Tree of Life

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ZSL Institute of Zoology, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Darwin Tree of Life project

Places: Cambridge, Britain and Ireland, UK

More episodes of ZSL Wild Science Podcast

• ZSL #051 From Habitat to Husbandry: Evidence-based animal care · April 30, 2026 · 32 min
• ZSL #049 The forest behind your floorboards · October 24, 2025 · 22 min
• ZSL #048 The rubber story and the road to sustainability · August 22, 2025 · 1h 4m
• ZSL #047 Shark Tales of North Wales · June 27, 2025 · 25 min
• ZSL #046 Feeding the Zoo: Nutrition for animals under managed care · April 16, 2025 · 34 min
• ZSL #045 BONUS Nature's Negotiators: Saving the planet one meeting at a time · December 30, 2024 · 17 min