Jurassic Parkchosemosquito fossilsas the harborers ofDino DNA , but a dissimilar kind of sponge recently came to the rescue in preserving the genetic textile of ancient humans yielding sample of unprecedented quality . trammel within the " cementum " head word louse use to fix their eggs , researchers find desoxyribonucleic acid in the hair of mummified continue from Argentina that see back to 1,500 - 2,000 years ago . What ’s more , the novel technique for acquiring ancient human DNA really works well than previously used method and allows us to sample human stay in a way that ’s less encroaching .
The head word louse , also known as “ nits ” , were able to trap human DNA as skin mobile phone from the host ’s scalp got case in the cementum - like substances that female eggs bring on . They produce a define glue so that they can secure their egg in hair close to the head where it ’s warmest . Not so playfulness for the host but something of an Easter Egg for molecular biologist and evolutionary scientists , clear .
According to the study , published inMolecular Biology and Evolution , this is the first time such DNA has been take in this way , cater a new way of looking into the gene of human race ’s past . Its author claim the selective information has already provided fresh clues about pre - Columbian human migration patterns within South America and could provide a new direction of analyze specimens that do n’t have teeth or bones to sample .
“ Like the fancied story of mosquito encased in amber in the filmJurassic Park , carrying the DNA of the dinosaur host , we have show that our genic information can be preserved by the viscid means produce by head worm on our haircloth , ” said lead investigator Dr Alejandra Perotti , Associate Professor in Invertebrate Biology at the University of Reading , in astatement .
Before now , dense skull bone or the inner material of tooth was call for to get quality genetic cloth . alas , these are both quite destructive mean of evolve DNA and so are n’t always culturally or ethically appropriate when parcel out with human remains .
“ Demand for desoxyribonucleic acid sample from ancient human remains has grown in late long time as we seek to see migration and multifariousness in ancient human populations , " continued Perotti . " Head lice have follow humans throughout their full being , so this newfangled method acting could unfold the door to a gold mine of entropy about our ascendant , while preserving alone specimen . ”
The samples acquired using nit cementum were bump to contain the same amount of DNA as a tooth sample , double the amount yielded from pearl sample and four times the amount in the rakehell found in the stomachs of more recent lice persist . All that red-hot inherited selective information without the need to go against bones ? The result was hiding in our heads all along .
mouth of less incursive ways of study mummified remains , check out thisEgyptian mummy being " digitally unwrapped"after 3,000 years .
