PubHawk
Proc Biol Sci December 2012 PMID 23055061

The half-life of DNA in bone: measuring decay kinetics in 158 dated fossils.

Morten E Allentoft, Matthew Collins, David Harker, James Haile, Charlotte L Oskam, Marie L Hale, Paula F Campos, Jose A Samaniego, M Thomas P Gilbert, Eske Willerslev, Guojie Zhang, R Paul Scofield, Richard N Holdaway, Michael Bunce

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Mentions

136
Peak: 8 in Dec 2022
across 6 sources since Jan 2019

Extended reach

41,935,800
potential audience

Total likes

22,554

Video views

41,506,845

Mentions per month

Jan 2019 – Mar 2025

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AI synopsis

What people are saying

The overall tone reflects a mixture of curiosity and skepticism, with many posters citing the study's data on DNA decay and questioning its implications for fossil analysis and molecular preservation. Words like 'improbably,' 'controversial,' and references to 'outdated studies' indicate a critical yet engaged tone, emphasizing the scientific debate and perceived significance of the research.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge the core findings from the publication, with some posts referencing the study's data or questioning its implications, indicating general support or neutrality towards its conclusions.

InterestHigh interest

Posts demonstrate high curiosity, referencing specific data points like the half-life estimates and biological processes, highlighting active engagement and relevance of the topic.

EngagementModerate engagement

Several contributors quote detailed figures, such as the 521-year half-life, and critically analyze methodological aspects, revealing deeper involvement beyond surface-level reactions.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussions suggest that the publication influences ongoing debates about DNA preservation, with some posts debating its broader significance, reflecting recognition of its scientific importance.

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
L'Encyclopédie
@WorldKnownledge · X

SOURCES : https://t.co/z3cQq5HsuT https://t.co/PhUHny2v1c https://t.co/1OgrkvVOBU

Mar 25, 2021 · 31 likes · 3 shares · 213,745 followers View post →
Tyler Greenfield
@TylerGreenfieId · X

@Bastion141 It’s mainly because the results are highly controversial. Another study found that DNA only has a half life of 521 years in bone and is completely degraded by around 1-2 million years. https://t.co/XDJ6ovJwv7

May 31, 2021 · 26 likes · 2 shares · 6,339 followers View post →
Pieter Borger
@BorgerPieter · X

Vraagje: Hoe kan er DNA van 2 miljoen jaar bestaan, terwijl DNA een gemeten hafwaarde heeft van 500 jaar? https://t.co/st1eQxT7aZ

Dec 8, 2022 · 22 likes · 6 shares · 30,271 followers View post →
高遠 頼@生命科学VTuber(たかとー らい) 定期科学ニュース配信(日)
@takatoh_life · X

DNAの保存に関して以前までの56~78万年前という記録を塗り替える素晴らしい成果だと思います。ゆうしさんが仰る通り、モデル上は-5℃で680万年前で全分解されるので、その狭間で生物史が明らかになり面白くなると思います！ https://t.co/zldOoBzSP6 https://t.co/yrrWxrrT1J https://t.co/Aw3K1hN6Ub https://t.co/cWgo1DEJ7R

Feb 18, 2021 · 14 likes · 3 shares · 13,802 followers View post →
Víctor G Tagua
@Victagua · X

Nov 10, 2019 · 12 likes · 4,573 followers View post →
Tyler Greenfield
@TylerGreenfieId · X

Interesting considering a previous study found DNA to have a half-life of only 521 years in bone. It should be highly unlikely to survive for 75 million years. https://t.co/saaYyJy3z2 https://t.co/V9nOIQcqpC

Feb 28, 2020 · 7 likes · 1 share · 6,339 followers View post →

All mentions

Frequent&Vigorous
@RikVigorous · X

@MaxwellScheffi1 @BRijswijk @matt_vanarsdall @biblemythology @DeeWaynee94 He wasn't proven wrong. Matt Vanarsdall used an outdated and little cited study to try and manipulate the conversation. Currently, DNA is believed to be able to last up to 7 million years. Also, no DNA has been confirmed in a 70 million year old dinosaur https://t.co/GOrJk3DxME

Mar 1, 2025 · 1 like · 61 followers View post →
Frequent&Vigorous
@RikVigorous · X

@matt_vanarsdall @BRijswijk @biblemythology @DeeWaynee94 Your source is from 2002. It's outdated. Newer fossil finds pushed preservation to much longer times. You know this. You're cherry-picking old data to contort narrative. It is highly disingenuous. This newer study has over 700 citations. Yours has 34. https://t.co/GOrJk3DxME

Mar 1, 2025 · 1 like · 61 followers View post →
Jim Folk
@jimfolk2024 · X

@EMaxwell56 https://t.co/Mmhzdr9eIM

Jan 1, 2025 · 724 followers View post →
Pedro15725
@Pedro15725 · X

@Erosanxy @FidalgoThiago_ No artigo The half-life of DNA in bone: measuring decay kinetics in 158 dated fossils. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, o autor Morten E. Allentoft diz:+

Aug 27, 2024 · 66 followers View post →
Jason Truth
@JasonTruth7 · X

@Sidney1st @Airlineblues @CharlesDavidWa6 @Maximumatheist Some light reading for you. M. E. Allentoft et al. 2012. The Half-life of DNA in Bone: Measuring Decay Kinetics in 158 Dated Fossils. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B: Biological Sciences. 279(1748): 4724–4733

Jun 17, 2024 · 8,280 followers View post →
Medea
@Someone53579158 · X

@PailleEtienne @HawaiianRipper A huge problem with these "mudfossils" (that aren't even a thing in science) is that they have the exact opposite circumstances needed to preserve dna https://t.co/sQGNAF2JRj Finding dna in old remains is highly improbable https://t.co/KLhTSeDQfQ https://t.co/V4NQwdnvoJ

Jan 22, 2024 · 1 like · 21 followers View post →
That one guy, V
@that1guyv83 · X

@Jae_N_1753 @ancient_elf @Lilith_Atheist I do read the damn journal articles on this matter. Take this one for instance. Extremely improbable for DNA to last 80 Myr. Prediction of 158kyr for -5C. You’re better off arguing contamination, but we know that isn’t so. https://t.co/JOG3ChrDcK https://t.co/eI9inA2pox

Dec 21, 2023 · 309 followers View post →
Jonny
@Jonnyinmd · X

@EMaxwell56 @JoshBradeen @learn_evolution @AiG But we know it's not young, & that non-bird dinosaurs are at least 66M years old, because you accepted that radiometric dating is a valid way of determining age when you cited the "The half-life of DNA in bone: measuring decay kinetics in 158 dated fossils" paper

Dec 14, 2023 · 172 followers View post →
Statistical Analyst
@turbo_brain · X

@EMaxwell56 @PiltdownSupermn I am interested in the graph. It is from data collected on the MOA giant bird. From 4000 to 9000 years ago. Moas went extinct about 600 years ago. https://t.co/VsrZdcsyIG

Apr 8, 2023 · 325 followers View post →
KlaasV
@KlaVeld · X

RT @BorgerPieter: Vraagje: Hoe kan er DNA van 2 miljoen jaar bestaan, terwijl DNA een gemeten hafwaarde heeft van 500 jaar? https://t.co/s…

Dec 8, 2022 · 6 shares · 620 followers View post →
Phys.org Biology
@physorg_biology · X

The oldest #DNA ever found reveals a snapshot of a vanished world @ConversationEDU @nature https://t.co/kieLjcq8nF https://t.co/A31pKuzoGC

Dec 8, 2022 · 8,214 followers View post →
El Atenuador.
@EduardoLuger · X

RT @BorgerPieter: Vraagje: Hoe kan er DNA van 2 miljoen jaar bestaan, terwijl DNA een gemeten hafwaarde heeft van 500 jaar? https://t.co/s…

Dec 8, 2022 · 6 shares · 2,388 followers View post →
Remon Huijsmans
@Licht_de_Fakkel · X

RT @BorgerPieter: Vraagje: Hoe kan er DNA van 2 miljoen jaar bestaan, terwijl DNA een gemeten hafwaarde heeft van 500 jaar? https://t.co/s…

Dec 8, 2022 · 6 shares · 65 followers View post →
Frederik van Holland
@FrederikHolland · X

RT @BorgerPieter: Vraagje: Hoe kan er DNA van 2 miljoen jaar bestaan, terwijl DNA een gemeten hafwaarde heeft van 500 jaar? https://t.co/s…

Dec 8, 2022 · 6 shares · 1,200 followers View post →
Propius Ad Verum
@VerumAd · X

RT @BorgerPieter: Vraagje: Hoe kan er DNA van 2 miljoen jaar bestaan, terwijl DNA een gemeten hafwaarde heeft van 500 jaar? https://t.co/s…

Dec 8, 2022 · 6 shares · 88 followers View post →
Pieter Borger
@BorgerPieter · X

Vraagje: Hoe kan er DNA van 2 miljoen jaar bestaan, terwijl DNA een gemeten hafwaarde heeft van 500 jaar? https://t.co/st1eQxT7aZ

Dec 8, 2022 · 22 likes · 6 shares · 30,271 followers View post →
Tzach Auman
@TzachAuman · X

@ChipmanLab @ArbleMatan "...even in a bone at an ideal preservation temperature of −5 ºC, effectively every bond would be destroyed after a maximum of 6.8 million years." המאמר: https://t.co/wR09A5N2kS ותקציר מנהלים ב Nature: "DNA has a 521-year half-life" https://t.co/VdigS7MpEi

Dec 1, 2022 · 2 likes · 237 followers View post →
Susan Baker
@TigerlillySusan · X

RT @JonathanSarfat1: @sailorrooscout DNA breakdown rates at different temperatures. From Morten Allentoft and 13 others, The half-life of D…

Oct 8, 2022 · 1 share · 2,024 followers View post →
Jonathan Sarfati, Ph.D., F.M.
@JonathanSarfat1 · X

@sailorrooscout DNA breakdown rates at different temperatures. From Morten Allentoft and 13 others, The half-life of DNA in bone: measuring decay kinetics in 158 dated fossils, Proc. Royal Society B 79(1748):4724–4733, 7 Dec 2012. https://t.co/7SbKlRm0d9 @TigerlillySusan https://t.co/EjAwYFro4r

Oct 6, 2022 · 1 like · 1 share · 4,589 followers View post →
J.
@thejs210 · X

@lasereyeluke @Bhoorelallives @konstructivizm Because their half-life is short! https://t.co/cXgzqrxZxF

Jun 23, 2022 · 200 followers View post →
Steve Terra Australis
@TheLamarckian · X

@niloc14061952 How does that work with the Second Law of Thermodynamics means such molecules break down to their simplest constituents at a reliably uniform rate. https://t.co/UT9y9xkedk.

Jun 17, 2022 · 3,301 followers View post →
Pieter Borger
@BorgerPieter · X

@Marc_Veld @mkeulemans Wetenschap is meten, @Marc_Veld: "The average DNA half-life within this geographically constrained fossil assemblage was estimated to be 521 years for a 242 bp mtDNA sequence..." https://t.co/st1eQyaIzz

Aug 3, 2021 · 30,271 followers View post →
Pieter Borger
@BorgerPieter · X

@mkeulemans @Marc_Veld https://t.co/st1eQyaIzz Quote: "The average DNA half-life within this geographically constrained fossil assemblage was estimated to be 521 years for a 242 bp mtDNA sequence,..." JA, @mkeulemans zeer grote problemen binnen het paradigma die u nooit in uw krant schrijft.

Aug 3, 2021 · 30,271 followers View post →
Ezequiel Vera
@ezequielvera · X

Estudios en ADN de huesos de aves recientemente extintas muestran que en conciones "normales" la vida media de un fragmento de ADN es de 512 años y que a bajas temperaturas podrían preservarse fragmentos muy pequeños por hasta unos 500.000 años https://t.co/bugRJL7bYv

Jun 15, 2021 · 2 likes · 4,578 followers View post →
Jonathan Sarfati, Ph.D., F.M.
@JonathanSarfat1 · X

@SteveMcRae_ This one? https://t.co/aOb8R4cBuv

Jun 14, 2021 · 1 like · 4,589 followers View post →
Orlando Ford
@OrlandoFord11 · X

RT @TylerGreenfieId: @Bastion141 It’s mainly because the results are highly controversial. Another study found that DNA only has a half lif…

Jun 1, 2021 · 2 shares · 109 followers View post →
Riamus01
@Riamus01 · X

RT @TylerGreenfieId: @Bastion141 It’s mainly because the results are highly controversial. Another study found that DNA only has a half lif…

Jun 1, 2021 · 2 shares · 27,636 followers View post →
Tyler Greenfield
@TylerGreenfieId · X

@Bastion141 It’s mainly because the results are highly controversial. Another study found that DNA only has a half life of 521 years in bone and is completely degraded by around 1-2 million years. https://t.co/XDJ6ovJwv7

May 31, 2021 · 26 likes · 2 shares · 6,339 followers View post →
Petit-pied
@petidino · X

RT @WorldKnownledge: SOURCES : https://t.co/z3cQq5HsuT https://t.co/PhUHny2v1c https://t.co/1OgrkvVOBU

Mar 26, 2021 · 3 shares · 88 followers View post →
ReRosso2
@ReRosso2 · X

RT @WorldKnownledge: SOURCES : https://t.co/z3cQq5HsuT https://t.co/PhUHny2v1c https://t.co/1OgrkvVOBU

Mar 25, 2021 · 3 shares · 129 followers View post →
L'Encyclopédie
@WorldKnownledge · X

SOURCES : https://t.co/z3cQq5HsuT https://t.co/PhUHny2v1c https://t.co/1OgrkvVOBU

Mar 25, 2021 · 31 likes · 3 shares · 213,745 followers View post →
たけのこの里
@type_110 · X

RT @takatoh_life: DNAの保存に関して以前までの56~78万年前という記録を塗り替える素晴らしい成果だと思います。ゆうしさんが仰る通り、モデル上は-5℃で680万年前で全分解されるので、その狭間で生物史が明らかになり面白くなると思います！ https://t…

Feb 18, 2021 · 3 shares · 391 followers View post →
C. elegans
@aeijmnoost · X

RT @takatoh_life: DNAの保存に関して以前までの56~78万年前という記録を塗り替える素晴らしい成果だと思います。ゆうしさんが仰る通り、モデル上は-5℃で680万年前で全分解されるので、その狭間で生物史が明らかになり面白くなると思います！ https://t…

Feb 18, 2021 · 3 shares · 2,118 followers View post →
世理子＠
@yorico_0 · X

RT @takatoh_life: DNAの保存に関して以前までの56~78万年前という記録を塗り替える素晴らしい成果だと思います。ゆうしさんが仰る通り、モデル上は-5℃で680万年前で全分解されるので、その狭間で生物史が明らかになり面白くなると思います！ https://t…

Feb 18, 2021 · 3 shares · 124 followers View post →
高遠 頼@生命科学VTuber(たかとー らい) 定期科学ニュース配信(日)
@takatoh_life · X

DNAの保存に関して以前までの56~78万年前という記録を塗り替える素晴らしい成果だと思います。ゆうしさんが仰る通り、モデル上は-5℃で680万年前で全分解されるので、その狭間で生物史が明らかになり面白くなると思います！ https://t.co/zldOoBzSP6 https://t.co/yrrWxrrT1J https://t.co/Aw3K1hN6Ub https://t.co/cWgo1DEJ7R

Feb 18, 2021 · 14 likes · 3 shares · 13,802 followers View post →
Petr Cviček
@PetrCvicek · X

@MihulkaS Opravdu jsou to mikrobi stáří 100 mil. let nebo jejich potomci, kteří se 100 milionu let vyvíjeli oddělení v sedimentu? Když poločas rozpadu DNA je 500 let. Nebo jsou to mimozemšťani založení na jiném principu?! https://t.co/dVw9SUnhjr

Aug 7, 2020 · 314 followers View post →
Teemu Långsjö ✝️
@teppaniaki · X

Fossiilisen DNA:n puoliintumisaika täydellisissäkin olosuhteissa on 521 vuotta. 1.5 miljoonassa vuodessa DNA-pätkät ovat niin lyhyitä, ettei niitä kyetä lukemaan ja vajaan 7 miljoonan vuoden kuluttua jokainen sidos on katkennut. https://t.co/yV16HLhEth

Apr 10, 2020 · 1 like · 6,057 followers View post →
Darío Estraviz López
@DarioEstraviz · X

RT @Carnoferox: Interesting considering a previous study found DNA to have a half-life of only 521 years in bone. It should be highly unlik…

Feb 28, 2020 · 1 share · 2,888 followers View post →
Tyler Greenfield
@TylerGreenfieId · X

Interesting considering a previous study found DNA to have a half-life of only 521 years in bone. It should be highly unlikely to survive for 75 million years. https://t.co/saaYyJy3z2 https://t.co/V9nOIQcqpC

Feb 28, 2020 · 7 likes · 1 share · 6,339 followers View post →
Víctor G Tagua
@Victagua · X

Nov 10, 2019 · 12 likes · 4,573 followers View post →
Ezequiel Vera
@ezequielvera · X

@cepitadenaranja @ASergiouyuy @balsedie Este digo. Lo uso para responder la pregunta clásica de si se pueden revivir dinosaurios mesozoicos como en Jurassic Park https://t.co/ZKqf1z5TaJ

Jul 14, 2019 · 4,578 followers View post →
Shinya Fushinobu
@sugargroove · X

The half-life of DNA https://t.co/K9rQTiY9NR

Apr 18, 2019 · 4,114 followers View post →
Dr. Anastassia Voronova
@AMVoronova · X

A random fact from 2012: the half-life of DNA is 521 years. https://t.co/nRITp5GGyY

Apr 10, 2019 · 2 likes · 2,545 followers View post →
David Willis
@indydave1955 · X

@MyChristianfam1 Here is article she referenced, ~1mo before hers. It very strongly argues against her conclusions and she even semi admitted that. One of them is wrong. Either she didn't find DNA or his rates wrong She said 7M yrs is max BUT that's only if it is at -5C! https://t.co/TDnCQgysin https://t.co/c9QMO6Y0Yb

Jan 5, 2019 · 8 followers View post →