Bone DNA deterioration is studied

PARIS, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- A French-led team has found DNA preserved in bones undergoing fossilization deteriorates up to 50 times faster when stored in a museum.

The findings by the paleogenetics team led by Eva-Maria Geigl of the Institut Jacques Mono in Paris show in order to improve the quality of paleogenetic analyses, archeological and paleontological remains should be treated as biological samples both during and after excavation.

The findings, the scientists said, opens the prospect of more extensive paleogenetic analyses regarding both the length of the time periods that can be analyzed, as well as the variety of questions that can be tackled. That's because, until now, information has mainly been obtained from samples from cold regions, since DNA is better preserved at low temperatures.

By analyzing freshly excavated fossil material, the researchers say it should be possible to recover genetic information from specimens from warm or temperate regions such as the Middle East and Africa.

The study appears in the Jan. 8 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.