Animal DNA in PCR reagents plagues ancient DNA research

被引：119

作者：

Leonard, Jennifer A.

Shanks, Orin

Hofreiter, Michael

Kreuz, Eva

Hodges, Larry

Ream, Walt

Wayne, Robert K.

Fleischer, Robert C.

机构：

[1] Uppsala Univ, Dept Evolutionary Biol, S-75236 Uppsala, Sweden

[2] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA

[3] Smithsonian Inst, Natl Museum Nat Hist, Genet Program, Dept Vertebrate Zool, Washington, DC 20008 USA

[4] Oregon State Univ, Dept Microbiol, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA

[5] Max Planck Inst Evolutionary Anthropol, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

来源：

JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE | 2007年 / 34卷 / 09期

基金：

美国国家科学基金会;

关键词：

Sus scrofa; Bos taurus; Gallus gallus; deoxynucleoside triphosphates;

D O I：

10.1016/j.jas.2006.10.023

中图分类号：

Q98 [人类学];

学科分类号：

030303 ;

摘要：

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. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

引用

页码：1361 / 1366

页数：6

共 39 条

[1] Anthropologists cast doubt on human DNA evidence [J].