BETH SHAPIRO: “We were interested in bison because we know that today bison have almost no genetic diversity at all. And we suspected that this was because when Europeans first arrived in North America they killed almost all of the bison.”
Her team found unexpected results -- that the bison had been losing its genetic differences long before Europeans arrived on the continent.
BETH SHAPIRO: “We found that bison population began to shrink and get smaller and smaller in size and in genetic diversity about ten thousand years before the Ice Age even started. And this means that there is something much more complicated going on with these large mammal populations.”
BARBARA KLEIN: Christine Lee combines biology and archeology. She studies the remains of humans to learn about different ancient cultures in China.
She says studying ancient bones can tell about a population’s background, movement, and even about marriages between different groups. For example, a tooth can tell about an individual’s diet and social level. Comparing teeth across an area can show genetic links between populations.
STEVE EMBER: Paleontologist Bolortsetseg Minjin studies the ancient remains of dinosaurs in her native Mongolia. She has also started programs to get a new generation of Mongolian students interested in paleontology.
She says she would like to help create a dinosaur museum in Mongolia that would house the country’s rich collection of ancient creatures.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25