archeogenetics
Sign in to saveArchaeogenetics is the study of ancient DNA using various molecular genetic methods and DNA resources. This form of genetic analysis can be applied to human, animal, and plant specimens. Ancient DNA can be extracted from various fossilized specimens including bones, eggshells, and artificially preserved tissues in human and animal specimens. In plants, ancient DNA can be extracted from seeds and tissue. Archaeogenetics provides us with genetic evidence of ancient population group migrations, domestication events, and plant and animal evolution. The ancient DNA cross referenced with the DNA of
Article
24 sectionsContents
- Early work
- Ludwik Hirszfeld (1884–1954)
- Arthur Mourant (1904–1994)
- William Boyd (1903–1983)
- Methods
- Fossil DNA preservation
- Methods of DNA extraction
- Methods of DNA analysis
- Applications
- Human archaeology
- Africa
- Europe
- South Asia
- East Asia
- Americas
- Australia and New Guinea
- Plants and animals
- Domestication of plants
- Domestication of animals
- See also
- References
- Citations
- Sources
- External links
Archaeogenetics is the study of ancient DNA using various molecular genetic methods and DNA resources. This form of genetic analysis can be applied to human, animal, and plant specimens. Ancient DNA can be extracted from various fossilized specimens including bones, eggshells, and artificially preserved tissues in human and animal specimens. In plants, ancient DNA can be extracted from seeds and tissue. Archaeogenetics provides us with genetic evidence of ancient population group migrations, domestication events, and plant and animal evolution. The ancient DNA cross referenced with the DNA of relative modern genetic populations allows researchers to run comparison studies that provide a more complete analysis when ancient DNA is compromised.
Archaeogenetics receives its name from the Greek word arkhaios, meaning "ancient", and the term genetics, meaning "the study of heredity". The term archaeogenetics was conceived by archaeologist Colin Renfrew.