Scientists extracted human DNA from a Paleolithic pendant and found it belonged to a Siberian
In 2019, archaeologists discovered a pendantThe size of a thumbnail, it was buried in the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia. It is known to have once been inhabited by Neanderthals, Denisovans and even modern humans, according to fossils and DNA. The pendant is further evidence that the cave was inhabited by humans. The 2cm-long pendant is a punctured deer tooth that was drilled so that the owner could hang it around his neck.
To help "preserve the integrity" of the artifactWhen extracting DNA, scientists developed a non-destructive method and decided to test it on an artifact. Because teeth are very porous, they are more likely to retain traces of DNA, such as that from skin cells or sweat, than other materials.
This new method involved the use ofsoft spatula to carefully remove any remaining sediment from the cave before immersing the artifact in a sodium phosphate buffer bath, which gradually released the ancient DNA—from the surface and then deeper. The researchers then gradually increased the temperature of the liquid, starting from room temperature, and changed the liquid several times until both human and deer DNA was released from the artifact.
The new DNA extraction method could potentially be used on a variety of ancient artifacts, including tools, jewelry and other objects that people once touched.
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On the cover: a top view of a pierced deer tooth found in Denisova Cave in southern Siberia. Image courtesy of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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