| Autor: |
Stahlschmidt MC; Department of Human Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany. mareike_stahlschmidt@eva.mpg.de.; School of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. mareike_stahlschmidt@eva.mpg.de., Collin TC; School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland., Fernandes DM; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.; CIAS, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal., Bar-Oz G; Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel., Belfer-Cohen A; Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel., Gao Z; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, USA., Jakeli N; Department of Prehistory, Georgian State Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia., Matskevich Z; Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem, Israel., Meshveliani T; Department of Prehistory, Georgian State Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia., Pritchard JK; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.; Departments of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, USA., McDermott F; School of Earth Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland., Pinhasi R; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. ron.pinhasi@univie.ac.at. |
| Abstrakt: |
Metagenomic analysis is a highly promising technique in paleogenetic research that allows analysis of the complete genomic make-up of a sample. This technique has successfully been employed to archaeological sediments, but possible leaching of DNA through the sequence limits interpretation. We applied this technique to the analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) from Late Quaternary stalagmites from two caves in Western Georgia, Melouri Cave and Solkota. Stalagmites form closed systems, limiting the effect of leaching, and can be securely dated with U-series. The analyses of the sequence data from the Melouri Cave stalagmite revealed potential contamination and low preservation of DNA. However, the two Solkota stalagmites preserved ancient DNA molecules of mammals (bear, roe deer, bats) and plants (chestnut, hazelnut, flax). The aDNA bearing layers from one of the two Solkota stalagmites were dated to between ~84 ka and ~56 ka BP by U-series. The second Solkota stalagmite contained excessive detrital clay obstructing U-series dating, but it also contained bear bones with a minimum age of ~50 BP uncalibrated years and ancient DNA molecules. The preservation of authentic ancient DNA molecules in Late Quaternary speleothems opens up a new paleogenetic archive for archaeological, paleontological and paleoenvironmental research. |
