DNA fingerprinting in anthropological genetics: past, present, future

In 1985, Sir Alec Jeffreys developed the variable-number tandem repeat method used to identify individuals and giving researchers the first DNA fingerprints. These initial methods were used in anthropological genetics, a field that uses a comparative approach to answer questions about human history, including the discernment of the origin of Native American populations and the discrimination of clan affiliation from individuals in Siberia. The technological and methodological advances since this time have led to the use of many more markers, including restriction fragment length polymorphisms, Y chromosomal and autosomal short tandem repeats, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and direct sequencing not only to identify individuals, but to examine frequencies and distributions of markers (or “prints”) of entire populations. In the field of anthropological genetics these markers have been used to reconstruct evolutionary history and answer questions concerning human origins and diaspora, migration, and the effects of admixture and adaptation to different environments, as well as susceptibility and resistance to disease. This review discusses the evolution of DNA markers since their application by Sir Alec Jeffreys and their applications in anthropological genetics

American Association of Anthropological Genetics (AAAG) News: AGAR Workshop

Early this year, more than 60 molecular anthropologists from across the country gathered in San Antonio, Texas, to hone their technical and analytical skills in the growing field of genomics at the first ever Application of Genomics to Anthropo- logical Research (AGAR) workshop. This two-day workshop, held between January 9th and 10th at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, was organized by the Education Committee of the American Association of Anthropological Genetics (AAAG) and sought to address the major advantages (and hurdles) related to integration of state-of-the-art genomic data into anthropological studies

Assessing the preservation of cytosine methylation in ancient DNA from five prehistoric Native American populations

textCytosine methylation of CpG dinucleotides is an important epigenetic mark that regulates gene expression in humans. While methylation patterns in extant populations have been widely studied, few studies have attempted to analyze methylation in ancient DNA. Indeed, it was only recently shown that methyl groups can be preserved in ancient DNA. However, it is unknown how often methylation patterns can be recovered from ancient samples with preserved nuclear DNA. If they are frequently preserved, it may ultimately be possible to infer patterns of gene activity at the population level in ancient times. In this study, I assessed the preservation of cytosine methylation in ancient DNA from the remains of 30 prehistoric Native Americans from California, Illinois, Kentucky, and Mexico. These samples were previously shown to contain endogenous mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. I analyzed the cytosine methylation states of CpG-rich retrotransposons, which are epigenetically inactivated by cytosine methylation in humans. Unmethylated cytosines were converted to uracils by treatment with sodium bisulfite. Bisulfite products were pyrosequenced, and C-to-T conversions at potentially methylated CpG dinucleotides were quantified. I found that cytosine methylation is readily recoverable from human remains with preserved nuclear DNA from various localities over the time depth tested (~6000 years). This study presents the first direct evidence of cytosine methylation in ancient human remains, and suggests that it may be possible to analyze patterns of gene activity in ancient populations.Anthropolog

Evolution, Function and Deconstructing Histories: A New Generation of Anthropological Genetics

Introduction to the Special Issue, mainly based on contributions by the speakers in the 2016 AAAG symposium, “Ancient alleles in modern populations: Ancient structure, introgression, and variation-maintaining adaptive forces.

Welcome to the twelfth ISABS conference on forensic and anthropological genetics and Mayo clinic lectures in individualized medicine!

We invite you to join us at the 12th ISABS Conference on Forensic, Anthropological and Medical Genetics, Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 22 – 27, 2022. The conference is the next in the series of biennial events organized by the International Society for Applied Biological Sciences (ISABS), a society dedicated to the promotion of applied molecular biology (www.isabs.net)

Index to Volume 87

Este trabajo ilustra cómo la contribución de la técnica de Grupo de Discusión en el marco de una praxis del Equipo Reflexivo de Andersen puede ser utilizada como un método útil en la investigación científica cualitativa. Los postulados teóricos provienen del Construccionismo Social, desde el cual es posible conocer los significados y atribuciones que las propias personas señalan en relación a un determinado tema o problema. El Construccionismo Social estudia los fenómenos psicológicos a partir del modo que las personas aplican en su experiencia presente, las vivencias personales de su historia de vida, las influencias del contexto social y el conocimiento teórico en un determinado tema. Se ilustra el uso de este método de investigación en una experiencia de Grupo de Discusión con formato de Equipo Reflexivo, realizada con un grupo de 6 madres con niños entre 5 y 8 años. El propósito fue explorar los relatos de experiencia y las atribuciones de significado que ellas señalaban como sus principales recursos y debilidades en la crianza de sus hijos