DNA FROM HUMAN ANCIENT BACTERIA: A NOVEL SOURCE OF GENETIC EVIDENCE FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL DENTAL CALCULUS. (2nd August 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: DE LA FUENTE, C.; FLORES, S.; MORAGA, M.
• Is Part Of: Archaeometry. Volume 55:Number 4(2013)
• Page Start: 767
• Page End: 778
• Publication Date: 2012-08-02
• Subjects: Archaeometry -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Expertising -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2012.00707.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-813X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>We report a molecular methodology to obtain and analyse ancient bacterial DNA from archaeological dental calculus. Recent and archaeological DNA samples, as old as 4000 <sc>bp</sc>, were successfully extracted and amplified with species‐specific PCR primers. We propose this approach in order to: detect the presence of specific bacterial species infecting past human populations; compare the composition of ancient oral microbiomes among human populations; and analyse the genetic variability and covariation of bacteria and human host populations. Genomic analysis of bacteria from dental calculus is a promising source of evidence for palaeopathological and micro‐evolutionary studies, focused either on micro‐organisms or their human hosts.</p> </abstract>