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genetics posts

Rocks and genes tell the same story News

by David Shaw, 19 September 2017 | 0 comments

A map of a world where all the land is connected into one blob.

The rocks beneath your feet tell an amazing story. Back when dinosaurs roamed the land, all the continents of Earth were joined together in a supercontinent we call Pangaea. But it wasn’t to last. About 180 million years ago, Pangaea started to split apart – first into two, and then into smaller and smaller pieces.

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Spot the species difference News

by David Shaw, 30 November 2016 | 0 comments

Two adult giraffes and a younger one.

Spare a thought for taxonomists. Their job is to separate life into groups, from the great kingdoms of plants to animals, all the way down to individual species. Sometimes they have an easy job. For example, brown bears are easy to distinguish from polar bears. Other times, the differences are harder to find

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Getting ahead in bread News

by David Shaw, 1 August 2014 | 0 comments

Wheat

Written by Sarah Kellett Wheat is Australia’s main winter crop. Sown in autumn and harvested in spring or summer, it provides us with flour to make our daily bread. We eat wheat as toast with vegemite, or sandwiches for lunch. But wheat is not for everyone

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Extract DNA from a banana! Activity

by Carol Saab, 8 August 2013 | 4 comments

DNA is the blueprint and genetic guide for every living thing, and units of DNA are tiny. So how can we see it with our own eyes? Many DNA units form a long, stringy molecule that is easily visible and easy to extract from particular living things, like peas or a banana.

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