Starting four decades ago, studies have examined the ecology and evolutionary dynamics of populations and species using short mitochondrial DNA fragments and stable isotopes. Through technological and analytical advances, the methods and biomolecules at our disposal have increased significantly to now include lipids, whole genomes, proteomes, and even epigenomes. At an unprecedented resolution, the study of ancient biomolecules has made it possible for us to disentangle the complex processes that shaped the ancient faunal diversity across millennia, with the potential to aid in implicating probable causes of species extinction and how humans impacted the genetics and ecology of wild and domestic species. However, even now, few studies explore interdisciplinary biomolecular approaches to reveal ancient faunal diversity dynamics in relation to environmental and anthropogenic impact. This review will approach how biomolecules have been implemented in a broad variety of topics and species, from the extinct Pleistocene megafauna to ancient wild and domestic stocks, as well as how their future use has the potential to offer an enhanced understanding of drivers of past faunal diversity on Earth.
Southeast Europe has played an important role in shaping the genetic diversity of sheep due to its proximity to the Danubian route of transport from the Near East into Europe, as well as its possible role as a post-domestication migration network and long tradition of sheep breeding. The history of Romania and, in particular, the historical province of Dobruja, located on the shore of the Black Sea, has been influenced by its geographical position at the intersection between the great powers of the Near East and mainland Europe, with the Middle Ages being an especially animated time in terms of trade, migration, and conflict. In this study, we analyzed the mitochondrial control region of five sheep originating from the Capidava archaeological site (Dobruja, Southeast Romania), radiocarbon dated to the Early Middle Ages (5th–10th century AD), in order to better understand the genetic diversity of local sheep populations and human practices in relation to this particular livestock species. The analyses illustrate high haplotype diversity in local medieval sheep, as well as possible genetic continuity in the region. A higher tendency for North to South interaction, rather than East to West, is apparent, together with a lack of interaction along the Asian route. Continuous interaction between the First Bulgarian Empire, which occupied Dobruja starting with the 7th century AD, and the Byzantine Empire is indicated. These results might suggest expanding trade in Southeast Romania in the Early Middle Ages.
Malocclusion is a condition characterized by diverse phenotypic expression patterns, with a complex underlying genetic background. COL1a1 is one of the genes that has been previously associated with malocclusion, with one particular SNP, rs2249492 (C>G, C>T), having been linked with an increased risk of skeletal class II malocclusion. In this paper, making use of DNA sequencing and cephalometric measurements, we present preliminary data regarding the association between the rs2249492 SNP and the risk of malocclusion in the Romanian population, illustrated as continuous, rather than categorical phenotypes. The results show a tendency towards a Class II pattern determined by mandibular retrognathism, rather than maxillary prognathism among the individuals possessing the mutant allele. Subsequent studies on larger sample sizes should include statistical analysis focused on associations between the rs2249492 allele and continuous phenotypic variation inside, but not restricted to Class II malocclusion, in order to acquire a more detailed picture of the interaction between the polymorphism and this complex condition
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