[Previous entry: "Altruism In Social Insects Is A Family Affair"] [Next entry: "Protests Erupt Over German Medical Group's Award to Ex-Nazi"]

05/30/2008: "Authentic Viking DNA Retrieved From 1,000-year-old Skeletons"

Analysis of DNA from the remains of ancient humans provides valuable insights into such important questions as the origin of genetic diseases, migration patterns of our forefathers and tribal and family patterns.

Using freshly sampled material from ten Viking skeletons from around AD 1,000, from a non-Christian burial site on the Danish island of Funen, Dissing and colleagues showed that it is indeed possible to retrieve authentic DNA from ancient humans.

Wearing protective suits, the researchers removed the teeth from the jaw at the moment the skeletons were unearthed when they had been untouched for 1,000 years. The subsequent laboratory procedures were also carefully controlled in order to avoid contamination.

Analysis of the Viking DNA showed no evidence of contamination with extraneous DNA, and typing of the endogenous DNA gave reproducible results and showed that these individuals were just as diverse as contemporary humans. A reliable retrieval of authentic DNA opens the way for a valuable use of prehistoric human remains to illuminate the genetic history of past and extant populations.

[ It's meaningless to make the statement regarding diversity. It is scientifically proven that genetic diversity is reduced in populations the further away their native land is from Ethiopia ]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527201804.htm