The molecular palaeoecology of geese: identification of archaeological goose remains using ancient DNA analysis

Abstract

The remains of six species of geese are commonly recovered from archaeological sites in Britain dating from the Saxon and later periods. However, identification of this material to species level is hampered by a lack of morphological variation and a large overlap in size. To address this issue we obtained DNA sequence data for a section of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from modern samples of each species, and successfully identified several DNA markers for Branta species. No markers were found within the cytochrome b gene for the genus Anser. Ancient DNA techniques were then used to recover DNA from goose bones excavated from two archaeological sites. The DNA sequences enabled identification of Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) from one site and confirmed the presence of Anser species at another. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Farmers, Monks and Aristocrats

“…The preliminary study of ancient geese DNA mentioned previously (Barnes et al 1998) postulated a possible correlation between the minimum shaft diameter of goose bone and DNA recovery. Our lack of any correlation in this respect, is encouraging, since it indicates that the extraction (and subsequent identification) of DNA from the bones of smaller geese species (e.g.…”

Advance in barnacle cement with high underwater adhesion

“…17 Until recently, some studies have utilized the denaturant to dissolve more than 90% of barnacle cement through the physical disruption of non-covalent interaction combined with chemical cleavage of some covalent linkages in barnacle cement protein. [18][19][20] The main components of barnacle cement are proteins, which account for about 90% of total barnacle cement. The rest of the components include carbohydrate (1%), lipid (1%) and inorganic ash (4%), among which 30% of inorganic ash is calcium.…”

“…Barnacle cement is a polyprotein complex secreted by barnacle, which makes the barnacle to firmly adhere on various substantial surfaces under the water 17 . Until recently, some studies have utilized the denaturant to dissolve more than 90% of barnacle cement through the physical disruption of non‐covalent interaction combined with chemical cleavage of some covalent linkages in barnacle cement protein 18–20 . The main components of barnacle cement are proteins, which account for about 90% of total barnacle cement.…”

Ancient DNA, a Neolithic legging from the Swiss Alps and the early history of goat

“…The cytochrome b gene has been used for species identification in an archaeological context (e.g. (Barnes et al, 1998;Loreille et al, 1997;Poulakakis, 2006;Yang et al, 2004)). Sequences were obtained from two different regions within the cytochrome b gene (70 bp: Basel, 100 bp: Copenhagen).…”