Summary: <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Only a few decades ago, the idea of pulling DNA from long-dead organisms was the stuff of science fiction, but the field of ancient DNA is now totally real and thriving. In this episode, we discuss how we get DNA from ancient specimens and just a bit of the incredible world of information paleogenetics opens up for scientists. </span></p><br> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In the news: Another ancient croc-cousin, human and sloth footprints, swimming human evolution, and the oldest wolverine! </span></p><br> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: <br><a href="http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/">http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/</a></span></p><br> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow and Support us on: <br> Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast">https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast</a> <br> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC">https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC</a> <br> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/%20%0B">https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ <br></a>PodBean: <a href="https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/">https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/</a> <br> iTunes: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2%20%0B">https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 <br></a>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw</a> </span></p><br> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. <br> More music like this at <a href="http://ocremix.org">http://ocremix.org</a>. </span></p><br> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Muscial Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0<br><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a></span></p>
