New DNA Technique Gives Names To The Unknown Dead

We can now identify more of those lost
(Image: Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty)

From New Scientist:

RARE snippets of genetic material locked inside fragments of bone and teeth can help identify people who die at war or sea, even when little remains of their bodies. But often there simply isn't enough DNA to be sure. A new technique, recently used to identify the Titanic's "unknown child", could make it easier for bereaved families to get a positive ID.

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DNA Testing May Unlock Secrets Of Medieval Manuscripts

From E! Science News:

Thousands of painstakingly handwritten books produced in medieval Europe still exist today, but scholars have long struggled with questions about when and where the majority of these works originated. Now a researcher from North Carolina State University is using modern advances in genetics to develop techniques that will shed light on the origins of these important cultural artifacts. Many medieval manuscripts were written on parchment made from animal skin, and NC State Assistant Professor of English Timothy Stinson is working to perfect techniques for extracting and analyzing the DNA contained in these skins with the long-term goal of creating a genetic database that can be used to determine when and where a manuscript was written. "Dating and localizing manuscripts have historically presented persistent problems," Stinson says, "because they have largely been based on the handwriting and dialect of the scribes who created the manuscripts – techniques that have proven unreliable for a number of reasons."

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