Publications

PCR inhibition remains a consistent problem for PCR amplification, particular in situations when the target DNA is in low-abundance or heavily degraded. Here we report an analysis on the identification of PCR inhibition and some recommendations to circumvent/alleviate inhibition in degraded samples.

Here we examine how a variety of factors (including calibration methods, sequence length, etc) affect divergence estimates in BEAST.

Here we report an examination of the alleles found in Canadian wild canids (wolves and coyotes) for the Agouti locus. Our analysis revealed that the Agouti locus did not vary in wild canids from domesticated dogs, although differences were observed in the surrounding regions.

We report the sequencing of a remarkably well-preserved Siberian woolly mammoth. Using a metagenomics approach we sequenced about 28 million reads of which 45.4% were identified as mammoth. The high percentage of endogenous DNA should enable the completion of its full genome.

Here we report our work looking into tarsus determination in Drosophila as it relates to ANTP cell autonomous or noncell autonomous determination.

Here we report the oldest fossil primate protein sequences from two approximately 75 thousand year old Neanderthals, as well as modern sequences from chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan. These sequences of bone osteocalcin lack hydroxylation of Proline-9 in Pan, Pongo, and Homo may reflect response to a selective pressure related to a decline in vitamin C in the diet during omnivorous dietary adaptation.

A response to the arguments about the survival of ancient DNA in Egypt and the likelihood of retrial of ancient DNA from Egyptian remains.

A critical assessment of the state of ancient DNA research and a review of some significant contributions and promising future research areas.

Here we describe the use of 'CATS' (or 'EPIC') primers for the detection of novel SNPs in non-model mammals. We observed that PCR success was highest in samples closely related to model organisms for which primers were initially designed, but due to the large number of CATS-like primers this approach may yield sufficient SNP data for conservation genetic studies in nonmodel organisms.