Why your dental plaque is valuable

(CNN) -- Have you ever wondered what is inside your dental plaque? Probably not. But this question is now being asked not only by dentists, but also by archaeologists.

As a molecular archaeologist, I research the origins and evolution of human disease by conducting genetic research on the skeletal and mummified remains of ancient peoples. By extracting DNA from ancient human bones, we can reconstruct the human genome at different times in the past and look for differences that might be related to adaptations, risk factors, or inherited diseases.

The aim is to better understand the evolutionary vulnerabilities of the human body so that we can better manage and improve our health in the future.

(Author Christina Warinner is a research assistant for Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.)

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