Murray Dáithí C, Haile James, Dortch Joe, White Nicole E, Haouchar Dalal, Bellgard Matthew I, Allcock Richard J, Prideaux Gavin J, Bunce Michael
1] Ancient DNA Laboratory, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia [2].
Sci Rep. 2013 Nov 28;3:3371. doi: 10.1038/srep03371.
Highly fragmented and morphologically indistinct fossil bone is common in archaeological and paleontological deposits but unfortunately it is of little use in compiling faunal assemblages. The development of a cost-effective methodology to taxonomically identify bulk bone is therefore a key challenge. Here, an ancient DNA methodology using high-throughput sequencing is developed to survey and analyse thousands of archaeological bones from southwest Australia. Fossils were collectively ground together depending on which of fifteen stratigraphical layers they were excavated from. By generating fifteen synthetic blends of bulk bone powder, each corresponding to a chronologically distinct layer, samples could be collectively analysed in an efficient manner. A diverse range of taxa, including endemic, extirpated and hitherto unrecorded taxa, dating back to c.46,000 years BP was characterized. The method is a novel, cost-effective use for unidentifiable bone fragments and a powerful molecular tool for surveying fossils that otherwise end up on the taxonomic "scrapheap".
高度破碎且形态难以区分的化石骨骼在考古和古生物沉积物中很常见，但遗憾的是，它在编制动物群组合方面用处不大。因此，开发一种经济高效的方法来对大量骨骼进行分类鉴定是一项关键挑战。在此，一种使用高通量测序的古DNA方法被开发出来，用于调查和分析来自澳大利亚西南部的数千块考古骨骼。化石根据其出土的十五个地层中的哪一层被一起研磨。通过生成十五种大量骨粉的合成混合物，每种对应一个按时间顺序不同的层，样本可以以高效的方式进行集体分析。鉴定出了一系列多样的分类群，包括地方性、已灭绝和迄今未记录的分类群，其年代可追溯到距今约46,000年。该方法是对无法识别的骨碎片的一种新颖、经济高效的利用方式，也是一种强大的分子工具，可用于调查那些否则会被归入分类学“垃圾堆”的化石。
