The crucial bit are these chains which encircle the rod, one, and here is a second and entwine. This is the double helix. An extraordinary feat of intellectual deduction, and it led to a whole new branch of science molecular genetics. More recently, dna has given us new insights into the family relationships of animals using a technique called dna fingerprinting. It was developed by sir Alec Jeffreys of Leicester University in 1984, and using just a simple smear of blood, its possible not only to identify one particular individual, but to establish whether or not its closely related to another. For example, we used to think that most birds lived in straightforward pairs. We watched them courting and mating and rearing their young, and so we assumed that they were faithful to one another. But dna fingerprinting showed us how wrong we were, as i explained in the life of birds. Perhaps the most bizarre behavior of all takes place in the suburban gardens of england and it seems that until
Bruno Richard Hauptmann was put to death for his part in the case in 1936, and Charles Lindbergh - the first pilot to traverse the Atlantic - was never even considered a suspect.
Retired Oakland judge has shocking theory about Lindbergh kidnapping sfchronicle.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sfchronicle.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.