Ancient DNA Secrets

The Infinite Monkey Cage

BBC

Comedy, Science

4.7 • 9.4K Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2023

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Horrible Histories alum Ben Willbond, ancient DNA experts Prof Turi King and Dr Tom Booth and Nobel prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, as they uncover some of the incredible revelations being revealed through study of ancient DNA. The discovery of the skeleton of Richard III under a Leicester car park made headlines around the world.Turi King talks about her involvement in identifying the regal remains using DNA extracted from his teeth and how she was able to prove that these ancient bones really did belong to King Richard. The panel also hear about a mysterious box of bones found in Winchester Cathedral purporting to date from the 8th and 9th century that could belong to some of our ancient Anglo Saxon kings and queens of England, including those of King Canute and his wife Queen Emma. Could the study of ancient DNA change our understanding of history, and perhaps even upset the line of succession? New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:05.2	Hello, I'm Brian Cox. I'm Robyn Inns, and this is the Infinite Monkey Cage,
0:09.2	and this week, we are going to find out if I am the rightful heir to the throne of England.
0:18.3	Elaborate. Elaborate your role, Highness, I think you'll find.
0:23.4	No, it's true, actually. So, in researching for this program, Robyn brought a family tree out,
0:28.7	and he does say that he's related directly to Edward III, who's the, I think, the one who had the
0:35.7	poker show. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, the bandit's work was Edward II.
0:41.6	There is no abuse of far-rhymes in my particular, that part of my lineage.
0:45.8	Yes. Actually, it does say that it says Edward III, and his wife, Philippa, had eight sons and
0:50.1	five daughters, and therefore it is true. And I quote that there is not a person with predominantly
0:56.0	British ancestry that will not be descended from Edward III. But, like we said, it really is,
1:02.5	there's the proper line all the way down, and that also means that I am a direct descendant of
1:07.8	Lionel of Antwerp, who is either the son of a king or a highly-paid hairdresser in Belgium.
1:16.1	He's one or the other. I know, I know him. I know you know Lionel of Antwerp,
1:19.6	you were always popping there before you do a lecture in Bruce, don't you? No.
1:22.9	I'll do something with this, it's just so flat and lifeless.
1:26.6	Thank you Lionel. Remarkably though, for once, this introduction is actually relevant to the show,
1:31.8	because today's show is about the famous case of the identification of the remains of King Richard,
1:36.5	the Third, using ancient DNA evidence. How do we isolate genetic material from 500-year-old bones?
1:42.6	How does that allow us to trace a family tree back over half a millennium to a collection of
1:47.0	remains under a lester car park? And what might the future hold? For car parks.
1:53.5	Revelations about human history. And car parks as well.
	...

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