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Biology Trip – talk by Dr Rutherford

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Article By Diego Casa and Mercy Frimpong

 

On Thursday 1st December, a keen set of aspiring Biologists attended an academic talk led by Dr Adam Rutherford discussing his new book on the History of Genetic Evolution.

Dr Rutherford explained how scientists managed to confirm that the ‘car park corpse’, that was recently excavated in Leicester, was King Richard III.

Dr Rutherford explained how they managed to achieve this with the stories and legends about King Richard III, and by using the evaluations from the descendants of his family.

The talk then described how scientists were able to establish how some famous people are descendants of Royalty, such as Richard Branson being related to Charlemagne (Charles the Great), King of the Franks and the Christian Emperor of the West; and that the actor Danny Dyer was related to William the Conqueror.

It was also said that in 800 AD, there was one individual whose genetics were directly linked to all ethnicities; meaning that everyone in the world is related to that one individual.

The talk was inspirational and enlightening, Dr Rutherford was able to show how genealogies and how family lineage are linked, irrespective of faith and culture.