Nic Rawlence: unearthing New Zealand's taonga | A Gallery from Saturday Morning | RNZ National

A groundbreaking “bone bath” technique developed by researchers at the University of Otago now allows researchers to access ancient DNA non-destructively from tiny fossilised bones.

Indeterminate subfossil gecko bones. Photo by Lachie Scarsbrook.

Historical Duvaucel's gecko museum specimen. Photo by Lachie Scarsbrook.

Lachie Scarsbrook with Duvaucel's gecko. Photo by Kerry Walton.

3D scan of Duvaucel's gecko skull. Photo by Lachie Scarsbrook.

Pliocene Bishops frog fossil bones. Photo by Jean Claude Stahl.

Subfossil Kohatu shag bones. Photo by Jean Claude Stahl.

Excavating fossils at 16-19 Mya St Bathans fossil deposit. Photo by Nic Rawlence.

Nic Rawlence at Awamoa archaeological midden with moa femur. Photo by ODT.

Rakiura Stewart Island giant moa tibia and gizzard stones. Photo by Guy Frederik.

Rakiura Stewart Island giant moa in situ with Matt Schmidt for scale. Photo by Alex Verry.

Sampling subfossil moa bones at Grandungula Passage Honeycomb Hill Caves. Photo by Jamie Wood.

Sampling subfossil moa bones at The Graveyard Honeycomb Hill Caves. Photo by Jamie Wood.

Examining shape of moa bones with Alex Verry. Photo by University of Otago.

Nic Rawlence and Karen Greig with dog skeleton. Photo by Guy Frederik.

Archaeological kuri bones. Photo by Guy Frederik.

Catriona's shelduck reconstruction at 16-19 Mya St Bathans fossil site, by Simone Giovanardi.

St Bathans excavation team. Photo by Nic Rawlence.

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