Who Are Our Ancestors and Why Does It Matter? – A Question of Science with Brian Cox

Video Description

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel are talking all things ancient DNA. Over the past 50 years, new technology has allowed researchers to sequence and study centuries-old DNA taken from ancient, long-buried human remains. This new insight into our past has led to a whole new understanding of our ancestors, from our migration across the globe, to the environmental changes we’ve experienced, and even the spread of ancient deadly pandemics like the black plague. Our panel of scientists answers questions from a studio audience about the usefulness of commercial DNA tests, the true meaning of ancestry, and what our ancient genetic material could reveal about our future. *Panellists* • Pooja Swali – Research Fellow in Pathogen Genomics, UCL • Pontus Skoglund – Group Leader, Ancient Genomics Lab, Francis Crick Institute • Adam Rutherford – Lecturer in Biology and Society, UCL • Tom Booth – Senior Research Scientist and Archaeologist, Francis Crick Institute *In this episode* 0:00 What’s this episode about? 1:48 Have the panel taken ancestry tests? 4:12 What is ancient DNA? 10:23 Is ancient DNA hard to study? 12:19 Is ancestry important? 14:49 How do we study migration? 21:03 Can we see pandemics in ancient DNA? 24:23 Can ancient DNA help with modern disease? 26:50 Are we immune to the plague? 28:37 Is it ethical to study human remains? 34:25 Do we have Neanderthal or Denisovan DNA? 37:22 Is red hair really Scottish? 38:30 How much ancient DNA is from unknown species? 41:22 Can ancient DNA unite us? *A Question of Science* A Question of Science is a groundbreaking series of panel discussions where experts from different fields respond to your questions, sharing the scientific perspective on society’s most pressing questions. A Question of Science is BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute. *The Francis Crick Institute* The Francis Crick Institute is one of the biggest research institutes in Europe. We’re an independent lab and registered charity, and home to more than 1,500 scientists working to understand health, disease and how life works. © BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025