Identify the species of the sample

"Once the computer has analyzed the DNA, how do you know what animal it encodes?"

- Dr. Alan Grant

After the fossil DNA has been sequenced, it is possible to determine from what animal the DNA originated. Identifying the species of the extracted DNA is needed to identify contamination by extant species. Furthermore, the species has to be known to correctly fill the sequence gaps and to perform succesfull cloning.

In the novel Jurassic Park Henry Wu isn't that concerned about knowing the species of the extracted DNA. "Just grow it and find out what it is."

Compare with known dinosaur sequences
Not all dinosaur species had the same DNA. For example, Theropod genomes (DNA per cell) were half the size of n dinosaurs. Therefore, the species of the DNA sample has to be known before the gaps can be filled.

The genus can be identified by comparing the DNA with the code of proteins collected from dinosaur bones (see Proteins in fossils). The species of bones can (often) be identified by paleontologists. There the species of the proteins is also known. The protein code can be retrotranslated into DNA code. However this code won't contain introns, but that is no problem for this step.

Genes in the amber DNA can be identified by. These amber genes can be compared with sequences in the protein database. If most amber genes correspond with T. rex genes, the genus of the amber DNA was most likely a T. rex or a close relative.