BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...

Subject: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Dec 19 - 11:32 AM

Bizarre archaeology report of the day:

Human DNA sequenced from Neolithic chewing gum

Subject: RE: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: Senoufou
Date: 20 Dec 19 - 11:43 AM

Most interesting Jack. There's enough chewing gum on the ground outside our local supermarkets to keep DNA laboratories going for decades. Filthy habit.

Subject: RE: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: Helen
Date: 20 Dec 19 - 12:12 PM

Senoufou, I would once have agreed with you about it being a filthy habit - especially the people who chewed with their mouths open and talked at the same time - but I found it useful when I was working in an office, with no contact with customers, because it stopped me from eating other stuff. It would be tempting to eat if I became bored or demotivated, but the chewy stopped that very effectively.

Leaving chewed chewing gum all over the place IS a filthy habit, though.

Lonnie Donegan - Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it's Flavour?

Subject: RE: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: Senoufou
Date: 20 Dec 19 - 01:51 PM

Ah yes Helen, I did mean spitting it out onto the ground is a filthy habit, not actually chewing it!

I absolutely adored Lonnie Donegan when I was young. All his songs are excellent (My Old Man's A Dustman, Rock Island Line etc)

When I did Prison Visiting, I learned that DNA is used quite a lot to identify criminals (serious crimes that is) Amazing how a crook can be identified and the evidence strengthened. How Science has advanced!

Subject: RE: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: Helen
Date: 20 Dec 19 - 02:04 PM

Yes, DNA is especially useful for catching crooks for crimes committed years ago. They thought they had gotten away with it and knock-knock-knock on the door, "You're nicked, sunshine!"

I remember the Dustman song. I think my Dad used to sing it sometimes.

Subject: RE: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 07:45 AM

I learned that DNA is used quite a lot to identify criminals (serious crimes that is)

Not necessarily serious crimes any more. In the UK the police have a right to take samples for DNA once you have been charged. There was a case where a man in prison was known (99% ish) to have committed a crime and the police were unable to take samples in prison. Only after his release, and formally charge could they get a sample. Not sure it has happened yet.

Then there was the cold case of a serial rapist (one shoe taken as a trophy). They trawled through the database for familial matches and came up with a woman who had been in a police station for a minor offence (maybe a dropped charge even!). When asked if she had a brother, she admitted she had, and rang her brother not knowing reasons. By the time the police got to him, he had hung himself, and a subsequent search found ladies' shoes under the floorboards.

AFAIK you have to be charged for the police to take samples unless you allow it. But if the charge is dropped, you have a great deal of effort to get the DNA taken off the record, if at all. If the charge is not dropped, no chance.

Drunk driving would qualify.

Subject: RE: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 07:48 AM

Su is Ancestry.com

Subject: RE: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: Mrrzy
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 09:07 AM

Loved this archaeology story.

What about non-secretors?

Subject: RE: BS: Does your chewing gum lose your DNA...
From: leeneia
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 03:02 PM

Thanks for the link, Jack. The "chewing gum" was birch pitch, which was used to attach arrowheads and spearheads to shafts. I've often wondered how they did that.

It's an interesting article, well worth a read.