RECOVERY OF MAMMALIAN DNA FROM MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC STONE TOOLS

Citation
Bl. Hardy et al., RECOVERY OF MAMMALIAN DNA FROM MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC STONE TOOLS, Journal of archaeological science, 24(7), 1997, pp. 601-611
Citations number
40
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Archaeology,Archaeology
ISSN journal
0305-4403
Volume
24
Issue
7
Year of publication
1997
Pages
601 - 611
Database
ISI
SICI code
0305-4403(1997)24:7<601:ROMDFM>2.0.ZU;2-W
Abstract
One of the primary goals of archaeology is to understand past human be haviour. Although stone tools comprise the vast majority of cultural a rtefacts for most of the archaeological record, their uses in prehisto ry are poorly understood. The application of the polymerase chain reac tion (PCR) to amplify DNA molecules can help establish a physical link to ancient tool use in processing biological material. Modern experim ental stone tools and a sample of stone tools and soils from the Middl e Paleolithic site of La Quina, France, dating between approximately 3 5 and 65 ka, have been examined for the presence of ancient DNA. Extra ctions from the samples were analysed using PCR with primers amplifyin g a small region of the vertebrate mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Su bsequent sequence analysis allowed the identification of some DNAs amp lified to family or species of origin. DNA sequences were obtained fro m tools and associated soil samples. DNA from boar/pig (Sus scrofa), a species represented osteologically at the site, was recovered from on e of the tools. Other tools yielded artiodactyl, human, and rabbit-lik e sequences. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.