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Optimized Bone Sampling Protocols for the Retrieval of Ancient DNA from Archaeological Remains
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Reinforcing plant evolutionary genomics using ancient DNA
Rafal M Gutaker1, Hernán A Burbano1
1Research Group for Ancient Genomics and Evolution, Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstr. 37-39, Tuebingen 72076, Germany.
Current Opinion in Plant Biology
|February 5, 2017
Summary
Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis using next-generation sequencing (NGS) reveals past plant molecular diversity and evolutionary insights. This technology enhances our understanding of plant evolution and domestication processes.
Area of Science:
- Plant evolutionary genomics
- Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis
- Next-generation sequencing (NGS)
Background:
- Advances in understanding ancient DNA (aDNA) biochemical properties and NGS methods allow for the sequencing and authentication of historical plant genomes.
- This technological progress has opened new avenues for studying past molecular diversity in plants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate how ancient DNA analysis has improved evolutionary inferences in plants.
- To highlight the role of sequencing historical plant genomes in understanding evolutionary rates, genome remodeling, and domestication.
Main Methods:
- Sequencing and authentication of genomes from historical plant samples, including Gossypium sp., Phytophthora infestans, and Arabidopsis thaliana.
- Comparative analysis of historical and present-day samples of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) to assess domestication selection.
Main Results:
- Analyses of temporally distributed genomes provided insights into evolutionary rates and timescales of genome remodeling.
- Comparisons between historical and modern crops revealed selection pressures during domestication.
Conclusions:
- Ancient DNA analysis has already significantly enhanced our understanding of plant evolution.
- Continued improvements in sequencing data quality and quantity from historical plants will further advance evolutionary inferences.
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