For the first time, DNA has been successfully extracted from fossilized eggshells, with some of the fragments being from moa.
The international team, which included scientists from the University of Otago, published the paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Previous attempts to perform this kind of extraction had been unsuccessful, and it is hoped the data drawn from the DNA will give local archeologists and palaeobiologists new insights into the history, hunting, and extinction of the moa.
Media coverage:
ABC Science: Moa eggshells yield ancient DNA
AFP: Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds
BBC: DNA of extinct birds extracted from ancient eggshell
Cosmos: Ancient DNA teased from fossil eggshells
Discovery News: Fossilized Eggshells Yield DNA
Metro: Dinosaur DNA rebuilt from ancient eggs
The Daily Mail: Scientists get closer to real-life Jurassic Park after extracting DNA from fossilised eggshells
The Guardian: DNA from fossilised eggshells could help reconstruct lives of extinct birds
