![]() ![]() Ancient DNA is one of several such analyses that is now widely used in archaeology (others include radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis) ( Hublin et al. 2018).Īlthough use of the cochlea has contributed to the success of ancient DNA research across a growing range of geographic and temporal contexts, it is important to balance analytical goals with the irreparable damage to human skeletal remains that results from destructive analyses ( Prendergast and Sawchuk 2018 Sirak and Sedig 2019). The use of these skeletal elements that act as repositories for the long-term survival of DNA has proven to be particularly important for the analysis of biological samples recovered from regions where high temperatures and/or humidity increase the rate of molecular degradation and result in low concentrations of damaged DNA with reduced molecular complexity (e.g., Broushaki et al. 2017), as especially DNA-rich parts of the skeleton. 2015), as well as the cementum layer in teeth roots ( Damgaard et al. ![]() However, recent research has shown that not all bone elements are equally effective in preserving DNA and has identified the dense bone encapsulating the cochlea within the petrous pyramid of the temporal bone (referred to henceforth as the cochlea) ( Gamba et al. Skeletal tissue (i.e., bone or teeth) is the preferred biological material for human ancient DNA analysis owing to its ability to resist postmortem degradation better than other types of tissues, including skin and hair ( Lindahl 1993 Smith et al. Although these methodological advances have contributed to an improvement in the quality and quantity of paleogenomic data obtained from ancient human remains, all ancient DNA research fundamentally depends upon access to biological material that has sufficient biomolecular preservation. Its rapid growth over the last decade has been driven largely by advances in isolating ( Dabney et al. Our results identify another optimal skeletal element for ancient DNA analysis and add to a growing toolkit of sampling methods that help to better preserve skeletal remains for future research while maximizing the likelihood that ancient DNA analysis will produce useable results.Īncient DNA has become an important tool for addressing key questions about human evolutionary and demographic history. Ossicles can be sampled from intact skulls or disarticulated petrous bones without damage to surrounding bone, and we argue that they should be used when available to reduce damage to human remains. ![]() We show that ossicles perform comparably to the cochlea in terms of DNA recovery, finding no substantial reduction in data quantity and minimal differences in data quality across preservation conditions. Motivated by similarities in developmental processes and histological properties between the cochlea and auditory ossicles, we evaluate the ossicles as an alternative source of ancient DNA. Ancient DNA research has benefited from the identification of skeletal elements, such as the cochlear part of the osseous inner ear, that provides optimal contexts for DNA preservation however, the rich genetic information obtained from the cochlea must be counterbalanced against the loss of morphological information caused by its sampling. DNA recovery from ancient human remains has revolutionized our ability to reconstruct the genetic landscape of the past. ![]()
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