The article being reviewed in this paper was written by Paul Rincon and published on the BBC News website on December 4, 2013. The article presents advancement in the genetics field, telling about DNA that was found in the leg bone of a 400,000 year-old fossil. This is a huge development since scientists have not been able to find DNA in fossils older than 60,000 years (Rincon, 2013). The bone described in this article was found in Spain in an area referred to as the ‘Pit of Bones’(Rincon, 2013). This is a cave where the remains of 28 people were found. The ‘Pit of Bones’ is located near Burgos in Northern Spain (Rincon, 2013). The bones were found to be of ancient people who lived in the Middle Pleistocene Age. For scientists, accessing these bones was not an easy task as the cave is hidden and is only accessible through ropes and tunnels. One of the most important renowned characteristics of DNA is that it breaks down as time passes. It is therefore fairly difficult to access DNA as old as 400,000 years (Rincon, 2013). However, as reported in this article, technology has helped scientists to make such discoveries as the one described herein. The scientists who made this discovery were also able to come up with a sequence of mitochondrial DNA from the femur, although it was incomplete. This sequence showed a relationship with 40,000 year-old fossils found in Siberia (Rincon, 2013). The cause of this relationship is said to be interbreeding across ancient populations from different regions. The scientists also related the DNA acquired to the Homo antecessor, an ancient human species. The next step from this discovery is to find nuclear DNA that is more helpful in understanding relationships between populations. The main challenge to this is the age of the bones found in the ‘Pit of Bones’. However, scientists are optimistic that this is possible since the bones are well preserved due to the conditions in the cave. This article correlates with Unit II (Genetics) of our textbook although DNA in general is covered throughout the course. During the term, we learned that DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. This article confirmed what we learned during the course – that all life on Earth is closely related and stems from the basic underlying mechanics involved with DNA. The article confirmed the principles of what we learned in the course, therefore there were really no discrepancies that I found. As we learned, we are all about 99% the same as everyone else – this article confirmed that this has been the case for thousands of years. This article and course has definitely made me aware of things that I had not thought of before. For instance, I had never imagined that it was possible to get the DNA of fossils as old as 400,000 years. It is amazing how science can help recreate the history of human species as old as this. This article has presented to me a new angle of how DNA can be used to understand how human beings came into being. It has also opened my eyes on the ways that science and history can work together. In this case, history as a field of study helped in finding the fossils, while biology helped in finding the DNA. This article has really changed my views on DNA and genetics in general. I now see it as a topic that is both interesting and captivating. By presenting the ability for scientists, and more specifically biologists, to unearth DNA from fossils this old, this article is very helpful. This is no simple advancement and will help even in future historical studies. I am now more interested in genetics as an area of study. This article has shown me that technology also plays a great role in all fields of study. Technology opens doors to new areas of specification and helps advance those already in existence (Rincon, 2013). Without technology, this discovery would have been impossible and scientists would have been stuck with DNA of human fossils only a few years old. This means that as technology continues to advance, so will other fields such as genetics. Within a few more years, scientists will be able to find and assemble DNA sequences from fossils older than 400,000 years (Rincon, 2013). Scientists in conjunction with historians will be able to document the history of human species using DNA only. This article is very useful to other aspects of life as it shows that technology is an important tool in all fields today. Whatever career path one chooses to follow, it is important to embrace technology and use it appropriately. What these scientists have achieved sets an example of the ambition that everyone should have in studies. From this article, I now know that genetics is an interesting field of study that can help understand the origin of human species. In summary, this article was very informative to me and has helped make me aware of how DNA works in the study of ancient humans as well as helping me better understand how far we’ve come as a species.

Reference
Rincon, P. (2013, December 4). Leg bone gives up oldest human DNA. BBC News: Science and Environment. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25193442