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BBC Inside Science

Monkeypox, Pompeii aDNA, and Elephant Mourning Videos

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.51.3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 June 2022

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why are non-African monkeypox cases causing concern? Also, the first complete human genome from a Pompeiian cadaver, and how YouTube is aiding animal behaviourists. As cases of monkeypox appear strangely dispersed around Europe and elsewhere in the world outside of Africa, BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher outlines to Vic the symptoms and some of the mysterious elements of this outbreak. In Pompeii, scientists have for the first time managed to sequence the whole genome of an individual killed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD. Serena Viva of the University of Salento describes the site of two individual's tragic demise all that time ago, one female aged around 50 years, and a younger male, both leaning on a couch in a dining room. Geneticist Gabriele Scorrano describes how the ancient DNA (aDNA) was preserved and extracted, and how the male individual's genome was so well preserved it could be sequenced in full. As they suggest this week in Nature, there weren’t too many surprises in what they found, but the ability to do this sort of science opens up a new era of Pompeiian archaeological treasure. Faced with covid lockdowns and unable to observe in the wild, elephant conservationists Nachiketha Sharma and Sanjeeta Sharma Pocharel decided to see if videos uploaded to YouTube could enlighten science on rare behaviours of Asian elephants. African Elephants are known to have a strange fascination, even respect, for the death of other elephant individuals, especially those near to their families such as calves and parents. Asian elephants’ thanatological (death related) behaviour is less well observed however. But the researchers turned to videos of strange grieving-like behaviour to begin a catalogue of the different reactions such as carrying dead calves, standing guard, or vocalizing. They dedicate their work, published by the Royal Society, to the elephants involved. This sort of research, using video observations captured and shared by members of the public are proving rather useful to zoologists and animal behaviourists. Ximena Nelson of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand was one of the first scientists to suggest the usefulness of trawling the internet for odd video of animals and explains a bit more to Vic. Presented by Victoria Gill Produced by Alex Mansfield

Transcript

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0:00.0

Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.

0:03.7

My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport podcasts.

0:08.4

I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with a leading journalist, experienced

0:12.2

pundits and the biggest sport stars.

0:14.3

Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the players'

0:18.5

mouths.

0:19.5

But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sport world.

0:25.0

What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to

0:28.8

dedicated sports fans across the UK.

0:31.2

So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.

0:40.1

Hello, you lovely curious minded people.

0:42.2

This is the podcast edition of BBC Inside Science, originally broadcast on the 26th of May, 2022.

0:48.4

I'm Victoria Gill.

0:50.0

This week we're investigating the ancient DNA of 2,000 year old bodies in Pompeii.

0:55.3

We're asking whether elephants truly mourn their dead and if online animal videos are

1:00.0

a previously underestimated source of serendipitous scientific insight.

1:04.5

But first, monkeypox.

1:06.5

As its name suggests, this is a disease that's spread from wild animals to humans,

1:10.4

first diagnosed in a human patient in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

1:15.4

It's been circulating in fits and starts, primarily in Western Central Africa since then.

1:20.4

But as you'll probably be aware, if you've been listening to the news,

1:23.3

something has changed.

...

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