Jan Cornelitz News Today

Headlines about molecular genetics being used to shed new light on old mysteries or even put criminals behind bars have become increasingly more common. In South Africa DNA is being used to answer important questions about everything from a group of people’s origins to the biological paternity of a child. But paternity tests aren’t just applicable to modern cases. Fellow researcher Christoff Erasmus and I considered DNA evidence to understand a divorce case dating back 321 years. The event...

DNA can solve all sorts of mysteries, including the sometimes thorny question of paternity. ktsdesign/Shutterstock Headlines about molecular genetics being used to shed new light on old mysteries or even put criminals behind bars have become increasingly more common. In South Africa DNA is being used to answer important questions about everything from a group of people’s origins to the biological paternity of a child. But paternity tests aren’t just applicable to modern cases. Fellow...