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In recent years, non-human ancient DNA studies have begun to focus on
larger sample sizes and whole genomes, offering the potential to reveal
exciting and hitherto unknown answers to ongoing biological and
archaeological questions. However, one major limitation to the feasibility
of such studies is the substantial financial and time investments still
required during sample screening, due to uncertainty regarding successful
sample selection. This study investigates the effect of a wide range of
sample properties including latitude, sample age, skeletal element,
collagen preservation, and context on endogenous content and DNA damage
profiles for 317 ancient and historic pinniped samples collected from
across the North Atlantic. Using generalised linear and mixed-effect
models, we found that a range of factors affected DNA preservation within
each of the species under consideration. The most important findings were
that endogenous content varied significantly according to context, the
type of skeletal element, the collagen content and collection year. There
also appears to be an effect of the sample’s geographic origin, with
samples from the Arctic generally showing higher endogenous content and
lower damage rates. Both latitude and sample age were found to have
significant relationships with damage levels, but only for walrus samples.
Sex, ontogenetic age and extraction material preparation were not found to
have any significant relationship with DNA preservation. Overall, the
skeletal element and sample context were found to be the most influential
factors and should therefore be considered when selecting samples for
large-scale ancient genome studies.
117 views reported since publication in 2021.