Ancient DNA: Methods and Protocols

by Beth Shapiro (Editor), Michael Hofreiter (Editor)

Research into ancient DNA began more than 25 years ago with the publication of short mitochondrial DNA sequence fragments from the quagga, an extinct relative of the zebra. Ancient DNA research really gained momentum following the invention of PCR, which allowed millions of copies to be made of the few remaining DNA molecules preserved in fossils and museum specimens.  In Ancient DNA: Methods and Protocols expert researchers in the field describe many of the protocols that are now commonly used to study ancient DNA. These include instructions for setting up an ancient DNA laboratory, extraction protocols for a wide range of different substrates, details of laboratory techniques including PCR and NGS library preparation, and suggestions for appropriate analytical approaches to make sense of the sequences obtained. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology ™ series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.   Authoritative and practical, Ancient DNA: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientists in the further study of ancient DNA and the methodological approaches in ancient research.

259 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Beth Shapiro is associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, and she received a MacArthur Award in 2009.

Reviews

[Tiffany]

It's difficult to rate this book as I feel that the individual authors that have contributed their papers to Shapiro's book deserve five star ratings. Ancient DNA is a topic that I am very interested in at the intellectual level.

This book is a collection of papers written by scientists and researchers in the field of ancient DNA research, and while I do find that this book is incredibly important to read for those of us that are interested in getting into this type of field, I did find that I was annoyed with the fact that I could have accessed these papers for free on other databases.

This book is more a set of protocols and procedures that scientists should follow in the laboratory when it comes to ancient specimens. This book is not for the casual reader who has no idea how things are run in lab. As somebody who has been educated in biotechnology and the way things are done in a lab (and have taken classes in DNA/genetics both in theory and in the lab), I understand what the authors are trying to get at with this book.

Since ancient DNA specimens provide small samples of DNA (usually degraded), these papers are meant to be used as a protocol for how to extract these samples in a way that yield results. This is also a procedure for how the laboratory should be run for ancient DNA as ancient specimens are at risk of being destroyed if in an environment that is disagreeable.

It's difficult to rate this book as I recommend it more for scientists that can understand and appreciate this more than the casual reader that is expecting a more easier and more understandable approach to ancient DNA research.