Story at a glance
- Scientists examining mummified remains in South America discovered they can extract human DNA from the glue ancient lice used to stick their eggs to hair.
- The process offers a less destructive method to extract DNA from ancient remains compared to removing bone, researchers said.
- The amount of DNA researchers were able to extract from the “nit glue” was the same that can be obtained from a tooth.
Scientists studying mummified remains in South America have discovered human DNA in the glue ancient lice used to adhere their eggs to hair.
A team of researchers from the United Kingdom, Argentina and Denmark say this is the first time “nit glue” has yielded human DNA and that it is a breakthrough for the art of extracting it.
“By genetically characterising a human host using just a handful of nits, we prevent the destructive sampling of bones and teeth that deteriorate or destroy unique ancient specimens, said the study’s lead researcher Alejandra Perotti of the University of Reading, according to The Guardian.
“This also prevents conflicts with Indigenous related people as the mummies or skeleton are left intact, only a few hairs containing nits are sufficient,” Perotti added.
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The amount of human DNA extracted from the nit cement was the same amount researchers can obtain from a tooth and twice the amount found in the petrous bone located in the skull, according to the researcher’s study published in the scientific journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.
“The other thing that we also find is that within the cements, within that glue of the nits, DNA seems to be preserved or protected better from chemical damages, [compared to DNA found in the tooth or bone],” said Mikkel Pedersen, of the University of Copenhagen and another author of the research, according to The Guardian.
The researchers said the method provides scientists with a less destructive means to extract DNA from ancient remains compared to other methods such as extracting teeth or fragments of skull bone.
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