Animal DNA in PCR reagents plagues ancient DNA research |
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Authors: | Jennifer A. Leonard Orin Shanks Michael Hofreiter Eva Kreuz Larry Hodges Walt Ream Robert K. Wayne Robert C. Fleischer |
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Affiliation: | 1. Genetics Program, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008-0551, USA;2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606, USA;3. Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala 75236, Sweden;4. Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3804, USA;5. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany |
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Abstract: | Molecular archaeology brings the tools of molecular biology to bear on fundamental questions in archaeology, anthropology, evolution, and ecology. Ancient DNA research is becoming widespread as evolutionary biologists and archaeologists discover the power of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA from ancient plant and animal remains. However, the extraordinary susceptibility of PCR to contamination by extraneous DNA is not widely appreciated. We report the independent observation of DNA from domestic animals in PCR reagents and ancient samples in four separate laboratories. Since PCR conditions used in ancient DNA analyses are extremely sensitive, very low concentrations of contaminating DNA can cause false positives. Previously unidentified animal DNA in reagents can confound ancient DNA research on certain domestic animals, especially cows, pigs, and chickens. |
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Keywords: | Sus scrofa Bos taurus Gallus gallus Deoxynucleoside triphosphates |
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