Back to Show
Eons
Can We Get DNA From Fossils?
Season 1
Episode 59
In 1993, scientists cracked open a piece of amber, took out the body of an ancient weevil, and sampled its DNA. Or, at least, so we thought. It took another few decades of research, and a lot of take-backs, before scientists could figure out how we could truly unlock the genetic secrets of the past.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

9:20
Fermented foods opened up a whole new nutritional landscape for us.

12:11
Nobody had ever found a specimen like Borealopelta before.

7:05
Untangling the origins of Beelzebufo -- the giant frog that lived alongside the dinosaurs.

10:43
To try to solve the puzzle of Lark Quarry, experts have turned to paleoichnology.

7:42
A story that spans almost 20 million years.

9:20
How were they able to survive in this harsh environment?

9:24
This period was anything but boring.

7:23
These animals truly ruled the Earth, becoming both abundant and diverse.

10:44
The key to solving the puzzle of Precambrian life was a tiny bit of fossilized fat.

9:11
The two viruses that we’ve had for millions of years.

9:31
The arrival of plants on land would eventually help cause a massive extinction event.

8:27
Cerro Ballena has over 40 skeletons of marine mammals from the Late Miocene Epoch.