Ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses necessitate the destructive sampling of archaeological material. Currently the dense inner portion of the petrous pyramid, the location of the skull that houses the inner ear, is the most sought after skeletal element for molecular analyses of ancient humans as it has been shown to yield high amounts of endogenous DNA. Destructive sampling of the petrous pyramid, assuming its recovery, is often not recommended for highly valued specimens. To investigate alternatives, we present a survey of human aDNA preservation for each of ten skeletal elements in a skeletal collection from Medieval Germany. Through comparison of human DNA content and quality we confirm best performance of the petrous pyramid and identify seven additional sampling locations across four skeletal elements that yield adequate aDNA for most applications in human palaeogenetics. Our study provides a better perspective on DNA preservation across the human skeleton and takes a further step toward the more responsible use of ancient materials in human aDNA studies.

中文翻译：

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对中世纪骨骼中人类DNA的保存进行系统的研究

古代DNA（aDNA）分析需要对考古材料进行破坏性取样。目前，Petroles金字塔的致密内部，即容纳内耳的头骨位置，是古代人类进行分子分析的最受追捧的骨骼元素，因为它已显示出可产生大量内源性DNA。对于高价值的标本，通常不建议对岩石金字塔进行破坏性采样（假设已恢复）。为了研究替代方案，我们提出了一项对德国中世纪骨骼收集物中十种骨骼元素的人类aDNA保存情况的调查。通过比较人类DNA的含量和质量，我们确定了金字塔形的最佳性能，并在四个骨骼元素上确定了七个额外的采样位置，这些元素可为人类古遗传学中的大多数应用提供足够的aDNA。我们的研究为跨人类骨骼的DNA保存提供了更好的视角，并朝着人类aDNA研究中更负责任地使用古代材料迈出了进一步的一步。