scholarly journals A systematic investigation of human DNA preservation in medieval skeletons

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody Parker ◽  
Adam B. Rohrlach ◽  
Susanne Friederich ◽  
Sarah Nagel ◽  
Matthias Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Skeletal Element ◽  
Destructive Sampling ◽  
Skeletal Morphology ◽  
Molecular Analyses ◽  
Dna Preservation ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Human Dna ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
Medieval Germany

Abstract Ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses necessitate the destructive sampling of archaeological material. Currently, the cochlea, part of the osseous inner ear located inside the petrous pyramid, is the most sought after skeletal element for molecular analyses of ancient humans as it has been shown to yield high amounts of endogenous DNA. However, destructive sampling of the petrous pyramid may not always be possible, particularly in cases where preservation of skeletal morphology is of top priority. To investigate alternatives, we present a survey of human aDNA preservation for each of ten skeletal elements in a skeletal collection from Medieval Germany. Through comparison of human DNA content and quality we confirm best performance of the petrous pyramid and identify seven additional sampling locations across four skeletal elements that yield adequate aDNA for most applications in human palaeogenetics. Our study provides a better perspective on DNA preservation across the human skeleton and takes a further step toward the more responsible use of ancient materials in human aDNA studies.

scholarly journals A systematic investigation of human DNA preservation in medieval skeletons

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody Parker ◽  
Adam B. Rohrlach ◽  
Susanne Friederich ◽  
Sarah Nagel ◽  
Matthias Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Content ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Skeletal Element ◽  
Destructive Sampling ◽  
Molecular Analyses ◽  
Dna Preservation ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Human Dna ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
Medieval Germany

AbstractAncient DNA (aDNA) analyses necessitate the destructive sampling of archaeological material. Currently the dense inner portion of the petrous pyramid, the location of the skull that houses the inner ear, is the most sought after skeletal element for molecular analyses of ancient humans as it has been shown to yield high amounts of endogenous DNA. Destructive sampling of the petrous pyramid, assuming its recovery, is often not recommended for highly valued specimens. To investigate alternatives, we present a survey of human aDNA preservation for each of ten skeletal elements in a skeletal collection from Medieval Germany. Through comparison of human DNA content and quality we confirm best performance of the petrous pyramid and identify seven additional sampling locations across four skeletal elements that yield adequate aDNA for most applications in human palaeogenetics. Our study provides a better perspective on DNA preservation across the human skeleton and takes a further step toward the more responsible use of ancient materials in human aDNA studies.

scholarly journals A Brief Overview of the Last 10 Years of Major Late Pleistocene Discoveries in the Old World: Homo floresiensis, Neanderthal, and Denisovan

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Fernanda Neubauer
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Separate Species ◽  
Skeletal Morphology ◽  
Old World ◽  
Human Dna

In the last ten years, new fossil, archaeological, and genetic data have significantly altered our understanding of the peopling of the Old World in the Late Pleistocene. Scholars have long been challenged to define humanity’s place in evolution and to trace our phylogeny. Differences in the skeletal morphology of hominin fossils have often led to the naming of distinct new species, but recent genetic findings have challenged the traditional perspective by demonstrating that modern human DNA contains genes inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans, thus questioning their status as separate species. The recent discovery of Homo floresiensis from Flores Island has also raised interesting queries about how much genetic and morphological diversity was present during the Late Pleistocene. This paper discusses the nature and implications of the evidence with respect to Homo floresiensis, Neanderthals, and Denisovans and briefly reviews major Late Pleistocene discoveries from the last ten years of research in the Old World and their significance to the study of human evolution.

scholarly journals UMA BREVE VISÃO GERAL DOS ÚLTIMOS 10 ANOS DAS PRINCIPAIS DESCOBERTAS DO PLEISTOCENO SUPERIOR NO VELHO MUNDO: HOMO FLORESIENSIS, NEANDERTAL, DENISOVAN

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (32) ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
Fernanda Neubauer
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Separate Species ◽  
Skeletal Morphology ◽  
Old World ◽  
Human Dna

Nos últimos dez anos, novos dados fósseis, arqueológicos e genéticos alteraram significativamente nossa compreensão sobre o povoamento do Velho Mundo no Pleistoceno Superior. Os pesquisadores há muito têm sido desafiados a definir o lugar da humanidade na evolução e a rastrear nossa filogenia. Diferenças na morfologia esquelética de fósseis de hominídeos muitas vezes levaram à nomeação de novas espécies distintas, mas descobertas genéticas recentes desafiaram a perspectiva tradicional, demonstrando que o DNA humano moderno contém genes herdados dos Neandertais e Denisovans, questionando assim seu status como uma espécie separada. A recente descoberta do Homo floresiensis da Ilha de Flores também levantou questões interessantes sobre a quantidade de diversidade genética e morfológica que estava presente durante o Pleistoceno Superior. Este artigo discute a natureza e as implicações da evidência em relação ao Homo floresiensis, Neandertais e Denisovans, e analisa brevemente as principais descobertas do Pleistoceno Superior nos últimos dez anos de pesquisa no Velho Mundo e sua importância para o estudo da evolução humana.Abstract: In the last ten years, new fossil, archaeological, and genetic data have significantly altered our understanding of the peopling of the Old World in the Late Pleistocene. Scholars have long been challenged to define humanity’s place in evolution and to trace our phylogeny. Differences in the skeletal morphology of hominin fossils have often led to the naming of distinct new species, but recent genetic findings have challenged the traditional perspective by demonstrating that modern human DNA contains genes inherited from Neandertals and Denisovans, thus questioning their status as separate species. The recent discovery of Homo floresiensis from Flores Island has also raised interesting queries about how much genetic and morphological diversity was present during the Late Pleistocene. This article discusses the nature and implications of the evidence with respect to Homo floresiensis. Neandertals and Denisovans, and briefly reviews major Late Pleistocene discoveries from the last ten years of research in the Old World and their significance to the study of human evolution.

Feeling the beat: Temporal and spatial perception of heartbeat sensations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Betka ◽  
Marta Łukowska ◽  
Marta Silva ◽  
Joshua King ◽  
Sarah Garfinkel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
State Anxiety ◽  
Spatial Perception ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Temporal Perception ◽  
Cardiovascular Parameters ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
Spatial Domains ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe majority of interoceptive tasks (i.e. measuring the sensitivity to bodily signals) are based upon the heartbeat sensations perception. However, temporal perception of heartbeats varies among individuals and confidence and spatial perception of heartbeats in relation to temporal judgements have not yet been systematically investigated. This study examined the perception of heartbeat sensations in both time and spatial domains, using a multi-interval heartbeat discrimination task. The relationship between these domains was investigated, as well as the contribution of mental health conditions and cardiovascular parameters. Heartbeat sensations occurred on average ~250ms after the ECG R-wave and were more frequently sampled from the left part of the chest. Participants’ confidence in their experience of heartbeat sensations was maximal for the 0 ms interval. Interestingly, higher confidence was related to reduced dispersion of sampling locations but we found evidence toward the absence of relationship between temporal and spatial heartbeat sensations perception, using Bayesian statistics. Finally, we found evidence toward a relationship between spatial precision of heartbeat sensations and state anxiety score, which seems independent from the cardiovascular parameters. This systematic investigation of heartbeat sensations perception provides important fresh insights, informing the mechanistic understanding of the interoceptive signaling contribution to emotion, cognition and behaviour.

Patterns of microbial colonization of human bone from surface-decomposed remains

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra L. Emmons ◽  
Amy Z. Mundorff ◽  
Sarah W. Keenan ◽  
Jonathan Davoren ◽  
Janna Andronowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Random Forest ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Human Bone ◽  
Microbial Colonization ◽  
Dna Concentration ◽  
Dna Preservation ◽  
Body Regions ◽  
Human Dna ◽  
Forest Models ◽  
Random Forest Models

AbstractMicrobial colonization of bone is an important mechanism of post-mortem skeletal degradation. However, the types and distributions of bone and tooth colonizing microbes are not well characterized. It is unknown if microbial communities vary in abundance or composition between bone element types, which could help explain patterns of human DNA preservation. The goals of the present study were to (1) identify the types of microbes capable of colonizing different human bone types and (2) relate microbial abundances, diversity, and community composition to bone type and human DNA preservation. DNA extracts from 165 bone and tooth samples from three skeletonized individuals were assessed for bacterial loading and microbial community composition and structure. Random forest models were applied to predict operational taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with human DNA concentration. Dominant bacterial bone colonizers were from the phyla Proteobacteria (36%), Actinobacteria (23%), Firmicutes (13%), Bacteroidetes (12%), and Planctomycetes (4.4%). Eukaryotic bone colonizers were from Ascomycota (40%), Apicomplexa (21%), Annelida (19%), Basidiomycota (17%), and Ciliophora (14%). Bacterial loading was not a significant predictor of human DNA concentration in two out of three individuals. Random forest models were minimally successful in identifying microbes related to patterns of DNA preservation, complicated by high variability in community structure between individuals and body regions. This work expands on our understanding of the types of microbes capable of colonizing human bone and contributing to human skeletal DNA degradation.

scholarly journals A genetic analysis of the Gibraltar Neanderthals

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (31) ◽  
pp. 15610-15615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Bokelmann ◽  
Mateja Hajdinjak ◽  
Stéphane Peyrégne ◽  
Selina Brace ◽  
Elena Essel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Genome ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Dna Preservation ◽  
Dna Library ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
Human Dna ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
Coastal Climate

The Forbes’ Quarry and Devil’s Tower partial crania from Gibraltar are among the first Neanderthal remains ever found. Here, we show that small amounts of ancient DNA are preserved in the petrous bones of the 2 individuals despite unfavorable climatic conditions. However, the endogenous Neanderthal DNA is present among an overwhelming excess of recent human DNA. Using improved DNA library construction methods that enrich for DNA fragments carrying deaminated cytosine residues, we were able to sequence 70 and 0.4 megabase pairs (Mbp) nuclear DNA of the Forbes’ Quarry and Devil’s Tower specimens, respectively, as well as large parts of the mitochondrial genome of the Forbes’ Quarry individual. We confirm that the Forbes’ Quarry individual was a female and the Devil’s Tower individual a male. We also show that the Forbes’ Quarry individual is genetically more similar to the ∼120,000-y-old Neanderthals from Scladina Cave in Belgium (Scladina I-4A) and Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave in Germany, as well as to a ∼60,000- to 70,000-y-old Neanderthal from Russia (Mezmaiskaya 1), than to a ∼49,000-y-old Neanderthal from El Sidrón (El Sidrón 1253) in northern Spain and other younger Neanderthals from Europe and western Asia. This suggests that the Forbes’ Quarry fossil predates the latter Neanderthals. The preservation of archaic human DNA in the warm coastal climate of Gibraltar, close to the shores of Africa, raises hopes for the future recovery of archaic human DNA from regions in which climatic conditions are less than optimal for DNA preservation.

II.—Late Saxon, Viking, and Early Medieval Finds from York

Archaeologia ◽  
1959 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
pp. 59-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dudley M. Waterman
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Scientific Investigation ◽  
The Political ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Historical Evidence ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Modern Building

The study of the Viking Age in this country has in the past remained largely the province of the historian, using the material afforded by the written sources and by the scientific investigation of place-names, and what systematic work has been done on the antiquities of the period, outside the fields of architecture and sculpture, illumination, and fine metalwork, is in considerable measure due to the labours of Scandinavian scholars. The contribution of archaeology to the problems of the period has until recently been quite inadequate and this state of affairs is all the more surprising in view of the important and controversial question of the origin of the English towns, the historical evidence for which, being both sketchy and ambiguous, has now been argued almost to the point of exhaustion. The publication in 1927 of the material remains of the Viking period from London in a manner appreciative of their equal value with the documentary and place-name evidence for the history of the site was exceptional, and in recent years the investigation by deliberate excavation of towns and settlement sites of the Viking Age, at Norwich, Oxford, Southampton, and Thetford, and far away in Shetland at Jarlshof, has gone some way towards compensating for earlier neglect. The systematic investigation of such sites, however, is only now beginning and so far no comparable work has been undertaken in the lands north of Humber, where from the time of Halfdan's settlement in 876 a thriving Viking province maintained with varying fortune its individuality until the Conquest and beyond. At York, the political centre of the Danelaw, the historical and place-name evidence indicates a thoroughly Scandinavian occupation, but the abundant archaeological material of the period, considering the importance of the site, has never received the attention in detail that it deserves. This material constitutes one of the largest groups of town finds of the Viking Age in the country and although for the most part recovered by chance in modern building operations and ill recorded in consequence has far too long been ignored.

Grain Refinement in Titanium-Erbium Alloys

1974 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 522-523
Author(s):  
B. B. Rath ◽  
J. E. O'Neal ◽  
R. J. Lederich
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Grain Growth ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Pure Titanium ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Titanium Matrix ◽  
Average Size

Addition of small amounts of erbium has a profound effect on recrystallization and grain growth in titanium. Erbium, because of its negligible solubility in titanium, precipitates in the titanium matrix as a finely dispersed second phase. The presence of this phase, depending on its average size, distribution, and volume fraction in titanium, strongly inhibits the migration of grain boundaries during recrystallization and grain growth, and thus produces ultimate grains of sub-micrometer dimensions. A systematic investigation has been conducted to study the isothermal grain growth in electrolytically pure titanium and titanium-erbium alloys (Er concentration ranging from 0-0.3 at.%) over the temperature range of 450 to 850°C by electron microscopy.

Optical Properties of HVEM Accelerators

1975 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 180-181
Author(s):  
A. Strojnik ◽  
J.W. Scholl ◽  
V. Bevc
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Electron Accelerator ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Electron Source ◽  
High Brightness ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Optical Behavior

The electron accelerator, as inserted between the electron source (injector) and the imaging column of the HVEM, is usually a strong lens and should be optimized in order to ensure high brightness over a wide range of accelerating voltages and illuminating conditions. This is especially true in the case of the STEM where the brightness directly determines the highest resolution attainable. In the past, the optical behavior of accelerators was usually determined for a particular configuration. During the development of the accelerator for the Arizona 1 MEV STEM, systematic investigation was made of the major optical properties for a variety of electrode configurations, number of stages N, accelerating voltages, 1 and 10 MEV, and a range of injection voltages ϕ0 = 1, 3, 10, 30, 100, 300 kV).

Magnitude Estimation and Cross-Modal Matching of Lingual Vibrotactile and Auditory Sensation

1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 698-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Harris ◽  
Donald Fucci ◽  
Linda Petrosino
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Stimulus ◽  
Magnitude Estimation ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Thenar Eminence ◽  
Stimulus Range ◽  
Psychophysical Scaling ◽  
Scaling Methods ◽  
Response Biases

The present experiment was a preliminary attempt to use the psychophysical scaling methods of magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching to investigate suprathreshold judgments of lingual vibrotactile and auditory sensation magnitudes for 20 normal young adult subjects. A 250-Hz lingual vibrotactile stimulus and a 1000-Hz binaural auditory stimulus were employed. To obtain judgments for nonoral vibrotactile sensory magnitudes, the thenar eminence of the hand was also employed as a test site for 5 additional subjects. Eight stimulus intensities were presented during all experimental tasks. The results showed that the slopes of the log-log vibrotactile magnitude estimation functions decreased at higher stimulus intensity levels for both test sites. Auditory magnitude estimation functions were relatively constant throughout the stimulus range. Cross-modal matching functions for the two stimuli generally agreed with functions predicted from the magnitude estimation data, except when subjects adjusted vibration on the tongue to match auditory stimulus intensities. The results suggested that the methods of magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching may be useful for studying sensory processing in the speech production system. However, systematic investigation of response biases associated with vibrotactile-auditory psychophysical scaling tasks appears to be a prerequisite.

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