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Ancient DNA
Method of archaeological study / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ancient DNA (aDNA) is DNA isolated from ancient sources (typically specimens, but also environmental DNA).[1][2] Due to degradation processes (including cross-linking, deamination and fragmentation)[3] ancient DNA is more degraded in comparison with contemporary genetic material.[4] Genetic material has been recovered from paleo/archaeological and historical skeletal material, mummified tissues, archival collections of non-frozen medical specimens, preserved plant remains, ice and from permafrost cores, marine and lake sediments and excavation dirt.
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Even under the best preservation conditions, there is an upper boundary of 0.4–1.5 million years for a sample to contain sufficient DNA for sequencing technologies.[5] The oldest DNA sequenced from physical specimens are from mammoth molars in Siberia over 1 million years old.[6] In 2022, two-million year old genetic material was recovered from sediments in Greenland, and is currently considered the oldest DNA discovered so far.[7][8]