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Horsing around aside, Aberdeen's very own Professor Keith Dobney speaks to Radio 4's Gareth Mitchell on the challenges and wider importance of the new DNA sequences from a horse dating back more than 700,000 years on 'Material World'.

A recent study by Orlando et al., published in the journal Nature, has revealed the oldest DNA ever sequenced, predating all previous DNA sequences studied by more than 500,000 years. The fossilised fragment of bone has yielded 70% of the genome of an ancient relative of the modern-day horse, along with DNA sequences from later pre-domesticated and more recent wild equines, revealing that the ancestor of all equines existed around four million years ago and their evolutionary relationships.

Aberdeen's Professor Keith Dobney spoke with the BBC yesterday about these amazing findings, and explored the implications of this scientific breakthrough on Radio 4's Material World.

To listen to the show via podcast, please see the link below:

For the BBC news story on this research, please see the following: