“Ancient DNA” refers to DNA obtained from the remains of dead people found in ancient burials or archaeological excavations.
Its study can help Scientists understand what happened to an individual, his/her history and trace back through history and epidemics.
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Ancient DNA is extracted from teeth, femurs and tibias. However, when available, the most promising part is the temporal bone. To be more specific, it is the part of the temporal bone of the skull that is called the petrous rock (rocca petrosa).
The petrous rock is a protuberance inside the cranial box, it is the hardest and strongest bone in the body. In fact, it is important to protect the nerve organs of hearing and balance; it is fully developed even before birth and changes little throughout life.
Slipping the hand from the base of the skull, tentatively locates the protruding spot on the inner side and drills a hole a few millimeters across, about a centimeter deep, at that point. Only a few milligrams of pulverized bone is needed to extract ancient DNA.
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From the pulverized bone, it is possible to extract DNA and subsequently sequence the genome using the most modern Next Generation Sequencing technique.
Therefore, ancient DNA can work as a time machine, a window to the past that allows us to have more data on human evolution and beyond. It is also involved in archaeogenetic studies, where it allows us to understand and reconstruct the history of populations with all the related phenomena.
Authored By
This article is written by Ms. Chiara Lucanto. She is a Forensic Biologist.
Mail: chia94lu@gmail.com
