An ancient HLA type from a Palaeolithic skeleton from Theopetra Cave, Greece

Evison, Martin, Kyparissi-Apostolika, Nina, Stravopodi, E., Fieller, Nick and Smillie, D. M. (2000) An ancient HLA type from a Palaeolithic skeleton from Theopetra Cave, Greece. In: Theopetra Cave: Twelve Years of Excavation and Research 1987-1998. Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology and Speleology, Athens, pp. 109-117. ISBN 960-91523-0-9

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

The site of Theopetra Cave is exceptional, having yielded human remains from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. It offers a unique opportunity to apply ancient DNA analysis to skeletal material from well controlled archaeological contexts. Following promising preliminary results from the Palaeolithic skeleton a detailed analysis of the highly variable HLA DR, DQ region was pursued, yielding the same DNA type in duplicate analyses derived from independent bone extracts. Limited contamination with intrusive DNA was experienced in the study, suggesting that the results from the Palaeolithic skeleton are genuine. The DNA types detected are typical of both the postulated “Mesolithic hunter-gatherers” and “Near Eastern farmers” in the wave of advance model of Ammerman and Cavalli-Sforza. The implications of these findings from the Palaeolithic skeleton from Theopetra Cave are discussed.

Item Type:	Book Section
Subjects:	F400 Forensic and Archaeological Science
Department:	Faculties > Health and Life Sciences > Applied Sciences
Related URLs:	Organisation
Depositing User:	Martin Evison
Date Deposited:	08 May 2015 10:19
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2019 17:29
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/22414

Downloads