Results of a collaborative study on DNA identification of aged bone samples

AimA collaborative exercise with several institutes was organized by the Forensic DNA Service (FDNAS) and the Institute of the Legal Medicine, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, with the aim to test performance of different laboratories carrying out DNA analysis of relatively old bone samples. MethodsEighteen laboratories participating in the collaborative exercise were asked to perform DNA typing of two samples of bone powder. Two bone samples provided by the National Museum and the Institute of Archaelogy in Prague, Czech Republic, came from archeological excavations and were estimated to be approximately 150 and 400 years old. The methods of genetic characterization including autosomal, gonosomal, and mitochondrial markers was selected solely at the discretion of the participating laboratory. ResultsAlthough the participating laboratories used different extraction and amplification strategies, concordant results were obtained from the relatively intact 150 years old bone sample. Typing was more problematic with the analysis of the 400 years old bone sample due to poorer quality. ConclusionThe laboratories performing identification DNA analysis of bone and teeth samples should regularly test their ability to correctly perform DNA-based identification on bone samples containing degraded DNA and potential inhibitors and demonstrate that risk of contamination is minimized

Polymorphisme de l'ADN mitochondrial dans quelques populations anciennes et actuelles du pourtour méditerranéen

AIX-MARSEILLE2-BU Sci.Luminy (130552106) / SudocSudocFranceF

French soldiers who died during both World Wars: from recovery to repatriation

International audienceThe study of human remains from the first and the second World War is important for enhancing our understanding of that historical period. Despite the fact that the period has been well-documented previously, gaps remain, particularly as a result of the destruction of archives. In fact, for just WWI, more than 700,000 soldiers from both sides remain missing. Scientific and political collaborations established in hopes of recovering and identifying soldiers will allow many families understand “what happened” to their loved ones and facilitate the return of the soldiers their homes. In this paper, the recovery of the human remains of French soldiers WWI and WWII will be described through the lens of the legislation in place governing the retrieval and identification of the remains, protocols established for recovery, excavation and analysis, and the dissemination data. These features will be illustrated using three case studies that involve French soldiers who died during WWI. Research of this type is the result of true interdisciplinary and sometimes international, depending on the context, collaboration. The public and academic the dissemination of these archaeological discoveries, both to academics and the public, is crucial and a type of remembrance

Analyse du gène du Cytochrome B d'équidés anciens méditerranéens : limites et perspectives

National audienceLa détermination de l'espèce à laquelle appartient le matériel génétique repose sur l'amplification d'un fragment de la région codante de l'ADN mitochondrial, le gène du Cytochrome b. Ce gène, très conservé au cours de l'évolution, porte une séquence spécifique de chaque espèce. C'est pourquoi, il est possible d'amplifier cette séquence à l'aide d'une paire d'amorces universelles pour une grande variété d'espèces, dont l'espèce humaine. Nous avons étudié la possibilité de séquençage de ce gène pour neuf ossements d'équidés appartenant pour sept d'entre eux au site d'Amphipolis en Grèce (Malama, Gardeisen 2005) et pour les deux autres (fœtus équidés) au site de Els Vilars en Catalogne (Nieto et al. dans ce volume ). L'ADN a été extrait à partir de poudres d'os anciens obtenues après fraisage de ceux-ci. Sur les sept ossements du site d'Amphipolis, nous n'avons pu mettre en évidence aucune séquence, soit en raison de l'extrême dégradation de l'ADN (fragmentation très importante de l'ADN), soit en raison de la présence d'inhibiteurs de la PCR. Sur les deux ossements de fœtus du site de Vilars, nous avons été confrontés à une contamination par de l'ADN exogène humain. Cette contamination a fait l'objet d'une identification de profil mitochondrial afin d'en déterminer l'origine

When a lost “Petit Prince” meets Antoine de Saint Exupéry: An anthropological case report

International audienc