aDNA (ancient DNA)

Ancient DNA (aDNA) refers to genetic material extracted from preserved biological remains like bones, teeth, or tissues of long-deceased organisms. Although it’s often highly degraded and fragmented, advances in technology allow scientists to analyze these tiny snippets to learn about past species, their relationships, migrations, and environments. aDNA provides valuable insights into evolution, ancient populations, and historical ecosystems, helping us understand our biological history. Despite challenges due to contamination and degradation over time, ongoing research continues to improve methods for studying ancient genetic information accurately.