The phrase "ancient specimens" refers to very old and rare objects, organisms, or things that are considered as examples or representations of the past. Full definition
In addition, by developing relationships with museums and curators who have ancient specimen collections, they can stay abreast of what samples are available, which can help them develop novel research questions. (sciencemag.org)
Nevertheless, Wogelius says that he and his co-workers are now approaching numerous museums and other institutions in an attempt to expand their fossil database and also compare the pigment patterns of ancient specimens with those of living animals in hopes of eventually deciphering the ancient colors. (sciencemag.org)
The DNA fragments from ancient specimens do not overlap perfectly due to degradation of the DNA code, causing mismatches in base pairs that were originally the same — these are «false mutations». (reviverestore.org)