DNA, the new frontier 

In the past few decades, paleontology has experienced revolutionary change. First researchers discovered that they could piece together ancient DNA, damaged by thousands or even million years of wear and tear. Then came eDna, or environmental DNA. Think of it as ‘ghost DNA’ — trace DNA left behind after an animal, plant or even a microbe has vanished forever. Now, ancient eDNA is helping us reconstruct ancient ecosystems, teaching us about the movement of plants and animals thousands of years ago – and the vanished land bridges they used to travel the world. It showcases climate change, thousands of years ago. Ancient eDNA can even show us how the continents moved over time. Pamela Stagg will take you on a trip through time that simply wasn’t possible even twenty years ago. 

This event will be available on Zoom and not in person at the Orillia Museum. The Zoom link will be emailed to our email list in advance of the meeting, or you can access it through our Google Form here: https://forms.gle/1J95rE6eezV4LEG17