Archaeological materials—including skeletal remains, ancient plant tissues, and sediment—are processed in a dedicated ancient DNA laboratory. DNA is extracted from specimens using methods designed to recover short molecules. The DNA is then converted to Illumina libraries so that it can be sequenced at a commercial facility.
Potential Results
The sequenced DNA is analyzed according to species type and available reference data, but often consisting of endogenous content, metagenomic profile, DNA damage, population ancestry of the individual, mitochondrial analysis, Y-chromosome haplogroup.