No joke: Ancient eggshells good source of DNA

Scientists have found that the fossilized eggs have a few thousand years old, excellent sources of DNA. The old egg of the extinct emus from Australia, New Zealand moas and elephant birds of Madagascar are excellent examples of how this new technology is able to retrieve DNA from the shells.

For the first time scientists have the ability to extract successfully deoxyribonucleic acid (commonly referred to as DNA), the substance that provides the specific genetic information for all living organisms, with the exception of some viruses.

The ability to extract DNA from egg shells will be a much better source of ancient DNA than other much-more-readily-degradable materials such as bone, skin and hair.

According to the Telegraph.co.uk article was "Extinct elephant bird of Madagascar live again," said the researchers successful recovery of ancient DNA from eggshells "... has great implications in the fields of archeology and paleontology."

From their paper, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Australian researcher Michael Bunce Oskam and Charlotte, both from Murdoch University (Perth, Australia), together with an international group of colleagues who have a laser found art, the old egg shells as an "untapped potential" for DNA. 

A laser, with green fluorescent dye that is used to find DNA, while the egg shells are under the microscope.