Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Ancient DNA extraction from bones and teeth.

Nadin Rohland1, Michael Hofreiter

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. rohland@eva.mpg.de

Nature Protocols
|July 21, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Eemian palaeogenetics demonstrates loss of diversity in modern fallow deer (<i>Dama dama</i>).

iScience·2026
Same author

Extinct Dalian horse as a genetic bridge between Late Pleistocene North American and Eurasian equids.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

First Lithic Age Caribbean genomes document pre-Ceramic genetic continuity and affinities to Central America and northern South America.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The genetic legacy of the 17th-century colonial capital of St. Mary's City.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same author

Ancient DNA reveals pervasive directional selection across West Eurasia.

Nature·2026
Same author

Subsistence transition preceded population turnover in the eastern Colombian Andes.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same journal

Author Correction: Direct inoculation of bioreactor-controlled stirred suspension culture with cryopreserved human pluripotent stem cells.

Nature protocols·2026
Same journal

High-throughput measurements of protein domain functions using magnetic separation.

Nature protocols·2026
Same journal

Inducing physiological polarity and performing gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9 in human trophoblast organoids.

Nature protocols·2026
Same journal

Photocatalytic low-temperature defluorination of PTFE.

Nature protocols·2026
Same journal

Multimodal imaging and quantification of lanthanide chelate-labeled micro- and nanoplastics in plants.

Nature protocols·2026
Same journal

Facilitating structure-based drug discovery with an artificial intelligence-driven virtual screening platform.

Nature protocols·2026
See all related articles

This study presents a new method to extract DNA from ancient bones and teeth. It maximizes DNA recovery while minimizing PCR inhibitors, yielding results in just two days.

Area of Science:

  • Paleogenomics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Forensic Science

Background:

  • Ancient DNA (aDNA) extraction is crucial for understanding past populations and evolutionary history.
  • Degradation and the presence of PCR inhibitors in ancient specimens pose significant challenges to DNA recovery.
  • Existing methods often involve multiple steps, high temperatures, and may not efficiently remove inhibitors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an optimized protocol for maximizing the recovery of PCR-amplifiable DNA from ancient bone and teeth.
  • To minimize the co-extraction of PCR inhibitors commonly found in ancient specimens.
  • To provide a rapid, efficient, and accessible method for aDNA extraction.

Main Methods:

  • DNA extraction using a buffer of EDTA and proteinase K from bone powder.

Related Experiment Videos

  • DNA purification via silica binding in the presence of high guanidinium thiocyanate concentrations.
  • All procedures performed at room temperature (20-23°C) to prevent further DNA degradation.

    • Main Results:

    • Successful maximization of PCR-amplifiable DNA recovery from ancient bone and teeth.
    • Significant reduction in co-extracted PCR inhibitors, enhancing downstream enzymatic applications.
    • Protocol yields DNA extracts within 2 working days with minimal steps and equipment.

    Conclusions:

    • The developed method offers an efficient and effective approach for aDNA extraction from challenging ancient specimens.
    • The protocol optimizes the balance between DNA release and degradation, crucial for fragile aDNA.
    • This technique improves the accessibility and success rate of ancient DNA analysis, including PCR amplification.