Ancient DNA shows how a chicken virus evolved to become more deadly
Experts from The Pirbright Institute have worked with an international team of scientists led by Oxford and LMU Munich to trace the evolution of Marek's disease virus (MDV).
The highly contagious poultry pathogen causes fatal disease in chickens worldwide, costing the poultry industry over $1 billion per year.
The team, led by archaeologists and biologists, used ancient DNA to produce the findings.