Molecular ecology of a Neolithic meadow: The DNA of the grass remains from the archaeological site of the Tyrolean Iceman

We have isolated DNA from 14 tissue samples from the internal organs of an Andean human mummy (10th-11th century A.D.) and have checked the persistence of the original human and bacterial templates using the following main approaches: 1) amino acid racemization test; 2) quantification of mitochondrial DNA copy number; 3) survey of bacterial DNA in the different organs; 4) sequence analysis of bacterial amplicons of different lengths. The results demonstrate that both the original human DNA and the DNA of the bacteria of the mummy gut are preserved. In particular, sequence analysis of two (respectively 100 and 196 bp in length) libraries of bacterial 16s ribosomal RNA gene amplicons from the mummy colon shows that while the shortest amplicons give only modest and biased indications about the bacterial taxa, the longer amplicons allow the identification several species of the genus Clostridium which are typical of the human colon. This work represents a first example of a methodological approach which is applicable, in principle, to many other natural and artificial mummies and might open the way to the study of the structure of the human microbial ecosystem from prehistory to present.

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence analysis of bacterial DNA in the colon of an Andean mummy

Ubaldi

Luciani

Marota

et al. 1998

“…Ancient DNA techniques have also been applied to the identification of biological components of remains of material culture. For example, Rollo et al (1994) have been investigating the clothing of the "Ice Man" found in the Tyrolean Alps, dating to 5,300 BP. The Tyrolean Ice Man had a "cloak" and footwear comprised, at least in part, of plant remains.…”

Section: Dietmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chloroplasts, found in plants, have varied inheritance patterns (Birkey, 2001). In some cases, chloroplast DNA could be used to trace maternal or paternal lineages of plants, but in general it is more anthropologically useful for the identification of plant genus, and in some cases species Rollo et al, 1994). DNA from infectious organisms such as bacteria and viruses can also often be detected in ancient remains (Salo et al, 1994;Taubenberger et al, 1997;Braun et al, 1998;Donoghue et al, 1998;Guhl et al, 1999;Raoult et al, 2000;Taylor et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient DNA in anthropology: Methods, applications, and ethics

Kaestle

Horsburgh

2002

149

Anthropologists were quick to recognize the potential of new techniques in molecular biology to provide additional lines of evidence on questions long investigated in anthropology, as well as those questions that, while always of interest, could not have been addressed by more traditional techniques. The earliest ancient DNA studies, both within anthropology and in other fields, lacked rigorous hypothesis testing. However, more recently the true value of ancient DNA studies is being realized, and methods are being applied to a wide variety of anthropological questions. We review the most common methods and applications to date, and describe promising avenues of future research. We find that ancient DNA analyses have a valuable place in the array of anthropological techniques, but argue that such studies must not be undertaken merely to demonstrate that surviving DNA is present in organic remains, and that no such work should be performed before a careful consideration of the possible ethical ramifications of the research is undertaken. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 45: 92-130, 2002.

“…Grass samples. Small fragments of grass (each about 4 cm in length, equivalent to approximately 16 mg dry weight) were taken from three samples (T27, T44, and T182) collected during the second archaeological expedition, carried out in August 1992 (Rollo et al, 1994). Soon after their recovery from the ice, the samples were put in a refrigerated container and transferred to Bolzano, where they were kept in a freezer at Ϫ5°C to 2°C.…”

Section: Collection Of Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence analysis of bacterial DNA in the colon and stomach of the Tyrolean Iceman

Cano

Tiefenbrunner

Ubaldi

et al. 2000

The male human body found in an Alpine glacier on September 19, 1991 ("Tyrolean Iceman") has, for the first time in history, given scientists a chance to perform detailed anatomical, histological, and molecular investigations on the organs of a person from the Neolithic Age (5350-5100 B.P.). In the present study, tissue samples aseptically taken from the stomach and the colon of the mummy were utilized for DNA extraction, and the DNA was PCR-amplified, using primer pairs designed to bind to fragments of the 16s ribosomal RNA gene (16s rDNA) of a broad range of bacteria. The PCR products were cloned in plasmid vectors, and the recombinant clones (amplicons) were sequenced. The sequence data were finally used for scanning data libraries containing the corresponding sequences of present-day bacteria, to infer the putative ecophysiology of the ancient ones. The same procedure was repeated on some fragments of grass from the clothing found near the corpse. These fragments were taken as a control of the microbiological situation of the glacier. The results show that the flora of the Iceman's stomach is entirely composed of Burkholderia pickettii, an organism commonly found in aquatic habitats. The colon, on the other hand, contains several members of the fecal flora of humans, such as Clostridium perfringens, C. ghonii, C. sordellii, Eubacterium tenue, and Bacteroides sp. The Iceman's colon, however, was found to contain, rather unexpectedly, also some members of the genus Vibrio. The results are discussed in light of what is known about the preservation of microbial DNA at the Iceman's site and of previous parasitological studies performed on the Iceman himself and on human coprolites.