Ancient Teeth: Carriers of DNA Who Tell Stories of the Past

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Dental calculus, a calcified form of tooth plaque, can give detailed information about the diets, diseases and lifestyles of past humans. CHRISTINA WARINNER discusses how she gains new knowledge about the way human beings used to live, what they ate, and how their microbiome has evolved.
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Dental calculus is the richest known source of ancient DNA in the archaeological record, and it is the only part of the body that fossilizes during life. In this video, she explains how emerging technologies in genomics and proteomics are contributing to groundbreaking discoveries about past human health and diet.
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Christina Warinner is Associate Professor of Microbiome Sciences at the Max Planck Institute for Science of Human History’s Department of Archaeogenetics in Jena, Germany

More about Harvard-educated Christina Warinner:

This LT Publication is divided into the following chapters:
0:00 Question
2:07 Method
5:02 Findings
8:16 Relevance
9:25 Outlook

[jonharper]

Excellent talk. Your enthusiasm is palpable.