Original scientific paper
Molecular analysis of archaeological human remains from Zagajci near Belišće (Croatia)
Jadranka Boljunčić
; Institute of Archaeology, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The paper presents molecular analysis of archaeological human remains from Zagajci near Belišće in Croatia. Bone sample from a single human cranium and two tooth samples obtained from teeth in a scanty “set” of remains found in farther vicinity (all secondary finds) were employed in DNA typing. DNA was analysed for autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci and the amelogenin – sex typing locus. The aim was obtaining STR loci profiles in order to investigate possible molecular relatedness between examined materials. Another aim was molecu¬lar identification of unknown sex of an individual represented by scanty remains, and confirming of the sex of the individual whose skull was estimated female by morphology. We obtained either low/partial STR loci allelic profiles for tooth samples, or a complete STR loci dropout for a bone sample. There was a single allele (17) of the D3S1358 locus shared among tooth samples. However, molecular sex identification confirmed the presence of a female individual in a scanty “set” of remains in accordance with archaeological data. Major or complete loci STR allele dropout is suggestive of a severe DNA degradation. A complete allelic loci dropout in a bone sample is also suggestive of the lack of contamination with modern DNA.
Keywords
DNA typing; STR loci matching; Amelogenin; Zagajci; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
111997
URI
Publication date:
12.12.2013.
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