Journal article
Amino Acid Racemization and the Preservation of Ancient DNA
Abstract
The extent of racemization of aspartic acid, alanine, and leucine provides criteria for assessing whether ancient tissue samples contain endogenous DNA. In samples in which the D/L ratio of aspartic acid exceeds 0.08, ancient DNA sequences could not be retrieved. Paleontological finds from which DNA sequences purportedly millions of years old have been reported show extensive racemization, and the amino acids present are mainly contaminates. An …
Authors
Poinar HN; Höss M; Bada JL; Pääbo S
Journal
Science, Vol. 272, No. 5263, pp. 864–866
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Publication Date
May 10, 1996
DOI
10.1126/science.272.5263.864
ISSN
0036-8075