Early human DNA in cave sediments

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SUMMARY

Researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from cave floor sediment strata, revealing the presence of Neandertal and Denisovan DNA alongside other mammalian DNA. This method primarily utilizes mitochondrial DNA, which aids in understanding evolutionary relationships among species. The study signifies a breakthrough in genetic research, allowing for the analysis of archaeological sites lacking skeletal remains. The findings have the potential to refine the human family tree without the need for physical artifacts.

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  • Understanding of mitochondrial DNA and its role in genetic analysis
  • Familiarity with sediment DNA extraction techniques
  • Knowledge of Neandertal and Denisovan genetics
  • Basic concepts of evolutionary biology and phylogenetics
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This discussion is beneficial for geneticists, archaeologists, evolutionary biologists, and anyone interested in ancient human ancestry and the methodologies used in genetic research.

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science.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aam9695[/PLAIN]

Researchers have found a way to extract DNA from cave floor sediment strata. Mixed in with a lot of other mammalian DNA is DNA from Neandertal and Denisovan people who inhabited the caves many thousands of years ago. The DNA samples are often mitochrondrial DNA, which is used to determine relationships among samples from other groups. If you recall the news stories and academic papers about a human mitochondrial Eve, this is along the same lines.

@BillTre posted a link yesterday about a family tree for domesticated dogs based on analyzing similarities for samples of nuclear DNA. This is somewhat different, it is a distinct, specialized subset of DNA.
http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(17)30456-4
It involved a large number of samples from 161 breeds of dog.

This study on sediment DNA has very few samples so far. It has some potential to be a major advance in enumerating the human family tree more clearly. The major plus is that no skeletal remains are required. So, archeological sites with tool and charcoal pits but no skeletal remains may be able to provide some genetic information.
 
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How can the researchers be sure that the DNA they found is from ancient humans rather than traces of DNA left behind by modern day humans (such as those who collected the samples)?