Genetic Analysis of the prehistoic peopling of Western Europe: Ancient DNA the role of contamination
Year: 2007
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In this thesis we have addressed three different although related topics. First, we studied the post-mortem mutation damage rate of contaminated DNA sequences in ancient human remains focusing on the development of strategies to avoid pre-laboratory derived contaminations. We proposed a guideline to control them consisting in typing every single person involved on the manipulation of the remains, especially when they have not been excavated and washed under controlled conditions. Second, we successfully develop a non-invasive technique to sequence ancient remains but preserving it from the destruction. And third, we sequenced ancient human remains from different evolutionary times (from Paleolithic to post-Neolithic) to make inferences about the peopling of Western Europe focusing mainly in the Iberia peninsula. We found that there is a long term genetic continuity at least since the Neolithic. The only clear genetic discontinuity found is that involving two different human species, H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis.
Authors: Sampietro Bergua, Ma. de Lourdes
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2258913270