Overview
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Explore how paleontologists bring ancient creatures back to life through fossil evidence in this 58-minute Christmas Lecture from The Royal Institution. Discover how bones and ancient art reveal the shape and appearance of extinct animals, using the woolly mammoth as a prime example of paleontological reconstruction. Learn about the challenges and possibilities of extracting DNA from prehistoric organisms preserved in ice or amber, and witness fascinating demonstrations of how extinct species may have sounded using modern technology and musical instruments. Delve into the scientific methods that allow researchers to piece together the feeding habits, movement patterns, and physical characteristics of animals that lived millions of years ago, transforming static fossil remains into dynamic understanding of prehistoric life.
Syllabus
The Fossils Come Alive - Simon Conway Morris's 1996 Christmas Lectures 2/5
Taught by
The Royal Institution