The DNA Detectives: How the Double Helix Is Solving Puzzles of the Past

Watson and Crick had no idea what doors they were opening when they discovered the double helix structure of DNA. Now DNA is settling debates that have raged for centuries. Meyer presents some of history's greatest unsolved mysteries, unfolding each tale like a novel and showing how, in the end, one little molecule holds the key. Did young Louis XVII, son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, die in prison? What happened to the Russian princess Anastasia? Was the Black Death the same as the bubonic plague?Why was the 1918 influenza pandemic so deadly? New research into ancient DNA—which can be found in almost any well-preserved biological specimen less than 100,000 years old—is answering all of these questions and more. With a storyteller's flair, Meyer explains in simple terms the science that can finally settle the debate over the fate of the Neanderthals and answer the question: Could we ever clone an extinct species? Meyer packs a few jaw-dropping surprises even for history buffs, and the versatility of research into ancient DNA guarantees that there will be more answers unearthed in the future. We can only hope Meyer will regale us with those tales as well. (May)