Scientists use 'pioneering' new technique to extract DNA from ancient pendant
Scientists have discovered a way to extract DNA from an ancient pendant in a noninvasive fashion, allowing them to reveal the identity of the artifact's original owner.
"I find these objects made in the deep past extremely fascinating since they allow us to open a small window to travel back and have a glance into these people's lives," remarked Elena Essel, the lead author of the study, which was published in the journal Nature.
The pendant was made out of a pierced deer tooth and was discovered in the Denisova Cave in Siberia. Researchers believe the artifact is between 19,000 and 25,000 years old, dating back to the Stone Age. It reportedly belonged to a woman who was part of a group called the Ancient North Eurasians, but it is unclear whether the woman wore the pendant or just made it, CNN notes. "It's almost like you open a time travel machine," Essel said of the process in a news release. "With each sample we are able to learn a bit more and make more inferences about how these people lived."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Previously, in order to extract the DNA from an object like this, scientists would have had to drill into the pendant to extract bone powder. This "pioneering" new method, however, avoids any direct damage, CNN says. Scientists submerged the artifact in a sodium phosphate buffer solution and slowly increased the temperature, which then allowed for the DNA to be released into the solution. Essel described the process as a "laboratory washing machine without the movement," wherein it was "the wash water that was exciting for us," she told CNN.
"With this new technique, we can finally start talking about that and investigating the roles of individuals according to their biological sex or their genetic identity and family relationships," Marie Soressi, who also worked on the study, told New Scientist.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
'The House under GOP rule has become a hostile workplace'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
An amphibian that produces milk?
speed read Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jupiter's Europa has less oxygen than hoped
speed read Scientists say this makes it less likely that Jupiter's moon harbors life
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why February 29 is a leap day
Speed Read It all started with Julius Caesar
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US spacecraft nearing first private lunar landing
Speed Read If touchdown is successful, it will be the first U.S. mission to the moon since 1972
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Scientists create 'meaty' rice for eco-friendly protein
Speed Read Korean scientists have invented a new hybrid food, consisting of beef muscle and fat cells grown inside grains of rice
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How Israel became the world leader in medical marijuana
In depth The country had an early lead in pioneering cannabis research and development
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
New images reveal Neptune and Uranus in different colours than originally thought
Speed Read Voyager 2 images from the 1980s led to 'modern misconception'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Lift-off in Shetland Islands for UK's first vertical spaceport
Speed reads SaxaVord Spaceport aims to begin rocket launches next summer
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published