Y-chromosome DNA extraction from post-cranial skeletal elements

With a reported number of over 8,000 individual sets of human remains unidentified in the United States, improved methods are necessary to collect and accurately extract DNA from human bone while being minimally destructive. Methods are not standardized for where on the skeletal remains to collect bone samples and often result in sampling far more material than is needed. The molecular yields observed in trabecular and cortical bone samples taken from human remains could help determine what sample types are needed for successful DNA analysis. With a hypothesis stating that due to the structure of trabecular bone, samples that contain only the trabecular bone yield higher amounts of DNA molecules than samples taken from cortical bone, this project took the preliminary steps in improving DNA sampling and extraction methods by analyzing the yield of Y-chromosome DNA from the two bone types. This project sampled 40 locations throughout the skeleton from each bone type and subjected them to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. The results contradict the hypothesis and indicate that cortical bone samples yield higher amounts of DNA than trabecular. The data collected from this project has provided a steppingstone to improve methods of DNA sampling of human skeletal remains. The data could be used not only to improve methods in forensic contexts but could be used for military identifications, ancestry estimations for potentially Indigenous remains, etc. Further research is needed to increase the validity of the results and affect the current methods used in the field

Y-Chromosome DNA Extraction from Post-Cranial Skeletal Elements

The use of DNA in forensic science has become an integral tool for victim and perpetrator identifications, missing person’s cases, paternity testing, etc. A major use of DNA is in the identification of unknown deceased individuals. With a reported number of individuals well over 8,000 in the United States, improved methods to accurately collect and analyze DNA from modern human bone are needed. This project took the preliminary steps to improve DNA sampling and extraction methods by analyzing the Y-chromosome DNA yield from the two bone types. While both types are composed of the same materials, cortical bone is the tightly packed bone on the outer layer, and trabecular is the sponge-like bone located inside. The yields observed in cortical and trabecular bone samples in a set of human remains could help determine what type of samples need to be taken for successful DNA analysis. Samples were collected from various locations throughout the skeleton from each of the two bone types and subjected to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. qPCR determines the amount of DNA in each sample. The averages from each bone type were compared to determine if one type preserves DNA better. The preliminary data collected from this project has provided a stepping stone in the right direction to improve how DNA sampling from modern human remains is done. Further research on this topic must be done to increase the validity of the results and affect the current methods used