By 
Christina Warinner
 | 
TED Stage Talk

Tracking ancient diseases using ... plaque

Imagine what we could learn about diseases by studying the history of human disease, from ancient hominids to the present. But how? TED Fellow Christina Warinner is an achaeological geneticist, and she's found a spectacular new tool -- the microbial DNA in fossilized dental plaque.

Related tags:

TED is supported by ads and partners

Watch next