ANCIENT DNA IS 13 YEARS OLD

The first successful recovery of ancient DNA, from quagga and human mu mmies inspired significant enough interest to open an entire field of research. Efforts from many research groups, often in a hunt for the o ldest sequences, showed that ancient DNA was a poor substrate for the enzymes used in molecular biology; it is present in tiny amounts, hard to purify, and frequently damaged. These obstacles have been partiall y overcome by the use of drastic laboratory precautions and by the int roduction of polymerase chain reaction and phylogenetic studies. Ancie nt DNA analysis now finds applications in many research domains.