The identification of plants used to make tapa artefacts: development of a reference DNA database and trial of non-destructive DNA extraction methods
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.DNA analysis can identify the plant origins of ancient Pacific tapa textiles, aiding provenance studies. While species-level identification is limited, this method helps trace artifacts from plants with restricted distributions.
Area Of Science
- Archaeological science
- Molecular biology
- Textile conservation
Background
- Tapa (barkcloth) is a significant non-woven textile historically made across the Pacific.
- Nineteenth-century tapa artifacts are common in museum collections worldwide.
- Identifying the plant source of tapa is crucial for understanding cultural exchange and provenance.
Purpose Of The Study
- To assess the feasibility of using DNA identification to determine the plant species used in tapa manufacture.
- To develop and test a DNA reference database for New Zealand and Pacific textile plants.
- To evaluate various DNA extraction methods, including non-destructive techniques, for tapa samples.
Main Methods
- Development of a DNA reference database using chloroplast *trn*L intron P6 loop sequences.
- Testing the database for identifying plant species in tapa artifacts.
- Comparison of different DNA extraction protocols, including non-destructive methods, on tapa samples.
Main Results
- The DNA reference database enabled genus-level identification for most tapa samples.
- Many species shared identical DNA sequences, limiting species-level resolution.
- One non-destructive DNA extraction method yielded amplifiable DNA, while the Qiagen DNeasy Plant Mini Kit showed the highest success rate among destructive methods.
Conclusions
- DNA identification, despite limitations in species-level resolution, can aid in tracing the origins of tapa artifacts, particularly those made from endemic plants.
- Successful DNA extraction from tapa is possible, with specific kits showing higher efficacy.
- Further refinement of DNA techniques could enhance the identification of plant sources for historical textiles.
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