5 ms·
DNA half-life isn't an immutable property of the material like radioactive half-life is. The environment has an effect. The DNA in cryogenically preserved tiss
by varenc 7y ago
DNA half-life isn't an immutable property of the material like radioactive half-life is. The environment has an effect. The DNA in cryogenically preserved tissue should have a much longer half life.
- TuringNYC 7y agoCurious what the half life would be for dinosaur blood within Amber (per the book)?
- mkl 7y agoIt seems to depend mostly on temperature and moisture: dry, cold, and unchanging are best. We have good DNA from Deniovans because it was recovered from bones and teeth that sat buried in a cave in Siberia for 50k years. Being in amber might protect from moisture, but I think the temperature and temperature swings would still likely destroy it within thousands of years.