Ancient Mammalian and Plant DNA from Late Quaternary Stalagmite Layers at Solkota Cave, Georgia

作者：Mareike Stahlschmidt, Thomas C. Collin, Daniel Fernandes, Guy Bar‐Oz, Anna Belfer‐Cohen, Ziyue Gao, Nino Jakeli, Zinovi Matskevich, T. Meshveliani, Jonathan K. Pritchard, Frank McDermott, Ron Pinhasi · 发表于：Scientific Reports · 年份：2019 · DOI：10.1038/s41598-019-43147-0 · 被引用次数：40 · 研究领域：Forensic and Genetic Research、Archaeology and ancient environmental studies、Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies

Metagenomic analysis is a highly promising technique in paleogenetic research that allows analysis of the complete genomic make-up of a sample. This technique has successfully been employed to archaeological sediments, but possible leaching of DNA through the sequence limits interpretation. We applied this technique to the analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) from Late Quaternary stalagmites from two caves in Western Georgia, Melouri Cave and Solkota. Stalagmites form closed systems, limiting the effect of leaching, and can be securely dated with U-series. The analyses of the sequence data from the Melouri Cave stalagmite revealed potential contamination and low preservation of DNA. However, the two Solkota stalagmites preserved ancient DNA molecules of mammals (bear, roe deer, bats) and plants (chestnut, hazelnut, flax). The aDNA bearing layers from one of the two Solkota stalagmites were dated to between ~84 ka and ~56 ka BP by U-series. The second Solkota stalagmite contained excessive detrital clay obstructing U-series dating, but it also contained bear bones with a minimum age of ~50 BP uncalibrated years and ancient DNA molecules. The preservation of authentic ancient DNA molecules in Late Quaternary speleothems opens up a new paleogenetic archive for archaeological, paleontological and paleoenvironmental research.