New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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Ancient DNA: prospects and limitations

PAMELA S. SOLTIS
DOUGLAS E. SOLTIS

Department of Botany
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164^238 U.S.A.

Abstract Ancient DNAs hold tremendous potential for studies of phylogeny, biogeography, and molecular evolution. In this paper we review published reports of DNA extracted from preserved plant and animal tissues. These preserved materials range in age from a 120 year old museum specimen of the extinct marsupial wolf to Oligocene-Miocene (25-30 million year old) termites and stingless bees preserved in amber. The mode of perservation of the tissue, molecular analysis, and biological significance, if any, of each study are discussed. In addition, we present our assessment of the future prospects of molecular paleontology. Finally, the principal limitations of fossil DNA extraction and characterisation are discussed, including degradation and modification of ancient DNA, difficulties in amplification of target sequences via the polymerase chain reaction, and the special problems that contamination presents for amplification and veri- fication of fossil DNA sequences.

Keywords ancient DNA; fossils; phylogeny; PCR; DNA sequences

B93015 ; Received 2 February 1993; accepted 5 July 1993
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1993, Vol. 31: 203-209
0028-825X/93/3103-0203 $2.50/0 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 1993

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (591K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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