Episode

Dr. Henry Erlich - Genetic Reconstruction of the Past

Podcast
AnthroBiology Podcast
Published
May 28, 2025
Duration seconds
4290
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Summary

Dr. Henry Erlich, Researcher Emeritus at Benioff UCSF Children's Hospital, joins the show to discuss his book, Genetic Reconstruction of the Past: DNA Analysis in Forensics and Human Evolution . We chatted about what it was like to pioneer PCR tests along with how PCR testing works, its applications (including medicine, understanding human evolution, and forensics), and some of the ethical dilemmas around DNA testing more generally. Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode + helpful sites and articles: Dr. Erlich's personal website Dr. Erlich's Medium profile Erlich, H. (2023). Genetic Reconstruction of the Past: DNA Analysis in Forensics and Human Evolution . Oxford University Press. Ed. H Erlich, E Stover, TJ White. (2020). Silent Witness: Forensic DNA Evidence in Criminal Investigations and Humanitarian Disasters . Oxford University Press. Wulf, A. (2016). The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World . Knopf - Vintage.