Individual DNA identification from ancient human remains

• Published in: American journal of human genetics Vol. 53; no. 3; pp. 638 - 643
• Main Authors: KUROSAKI, K, MATSUSHITA, T, UEDA, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL University of Chicago Press 01.09.1993
• Subjects: Adult; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Biological evolution; Child; DNA; DNA, Mitochondrial - analysis; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; DNA, Mitochondrial - isolation & purification; DNA, Single-Stranded - analysis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genetic markers; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Genetics, Population; Humans; identification; Japan; Male; man; mitochondria; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Paleontology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; repeated sequence; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Japan; Human; Prehistory; Genetic marker; Family study; Evolution; Genotype; Mitochondrial DNA; Tandemly repeated sequence
• ISSN: 0002-9297; 1537-6605

Individual identification of ancient human remains is one of the most fundamental requisites for studies of paleo-population genetics, including kinship among ancient people, intra- and interpopulation structures in ancient times, and the origin of human populations. However, knowledge of these subjects has been based mainly on circumstantial archaeological evidence for kinship and intrapopulation structure and on genetic studies of modern human populations. Here we describe individual identification of ancient humans by using short-nucleotide tandem repeats and mtDNAs as genetic markers. The application of this approach to kinship analysis shows clearly the presence or absence of kinship among the ancient remains examined.