McMaster Ancient DNA News

Here we outline a technique using flash pyrolysis to assess the peptide hydrolysis of 11 archaeological and paleontological remains and use it as a proxy for assessing the likliehood of retrieving authentic ancient DNA from ancient remains.

Here we show a chemical agent, N-enacylthiazolium bromide, which cleaves cross-links between reducing sugars and amino groups making it possible for DNA amplification for ancient paleofeces. We identify the defecator as an extinct sloth, likely Shasta ground sloth.

We have isolated DNA from the abdominal tissue of four extinct stingless bees in Dominican amber, and conducted PCR amplification targetting the 16S rRNA gene. Our analysis revealed the the sequence was mostly likely derived from Bacillus spp., whose modern representatives are often found on the abdominal tissue of stingless bees.