Association between ancient bone preservation and dna yield: a multidisciplinary approach

Area of Science:

• Paleogenetics
• Bioarchaeology
• Forensic Anthropology

Background:

• Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis is vital for understanding past populations.
• Predicting aDNA survival in archaeological bones is challenging due to complex degradation factors.
• Developing reliable methods to assess DNA preservation potential before destructive genetic analysis is essential.

Observation:

• This study investigated morphological, structural, chemical, and biological properties of medieval human bones.
• The research aimed to correlate bone preservation status with the presence of amplifiable DNA.
• Bone samples were analyzed using various techniques to assess their condition.

Findings:

• Archaeological bones yielding amplifiable DNA exhibited significantly higher collagen content (typically >12%).
• These samples also showed lower racemization levels for aspartic acid (<0.08), leucine, and glutamic acid.
• Additionally, bones with detectable DNA had a low infrared splitting factor, smaller crystallite size, and a more compact microstructure observed via scanning electron microscopy.

Implications:

• The identified preservation markers could guide future ancient DNA research strategies.
• These findings may help prioritize samples for genetic analysis, optimizing resource allocation.
• Further research is needed to confirm if these patterns are universal for ancient bones or site-specific.