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*Discover Health aired an interesting program last evening about Joseph Merrick and attempts to determine what diseases he suffered from. Relatives from both sides of his family -- descendants from his aunts and uncles -- were interviewed; they are concerned about the possibility of someone in a future generation of the family suffering the same affliction(s) as Joseph. The family tree was traced back, etc. For the first time ever, DNA was successfully extracted from Joseph's bones; they've previously had a difficult time obtaining DNA, as in the 19th century and shortly after Joseph's death his bones were boiled and bleached in the preservation process.
However, despite the success of this extraction attempt, scientists discussed the difficulties of working with 120+ year old DNA.
I've been following the story of Mr. Merrick for a long time. Last year a different program showcased an attempt to extract DNA from one of his teeth; that attempt was unsuccessful.
Also, the Discover Health program had a wonderful bonus: Through use of relatives' facial templates (both decreased and from old photos or current living relatives) and high-quality imagining equipment, we are able to see what Mr. Merrick may have
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ … php]looked if he'd not suffered his affliction.
http://health.discovery.com/convergence … l]Discover Health article. Includes more images, and of course information.
http://health.discovery.com/convergence … Supplement to the above link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3084483.stm]BBC article.
It's so horrible anyone should have to endure this sort of condition.
--Cindy
We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...
--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)
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