| Abstract: |
Amplification via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of specific regions of the sex chromosomes (Y-repeat and X-Y amelogenin gene homologs) has been proposed as a valid alternative to morphometric analysis of archaeological remains, especially when only fragments of bone are available. However, it is commonly assumed that diagenetic processes and contamination can greatly reduce the reliability of tests based on ancient DNA analysis. To investigate the effect of these factors, DNA was extracted from 47 bone samples belonging to three Etruscan (VII-III century B.C.) archaeological sites characterised by different geo-pedological and taphonomic situations and submitted to PCR amplification using primer pairs directed to the following target sequences: 1, Y-repeat
2, X-Y amelogenin gene homologs
3, 16S ribosomal RNA gene (315 bp). The third PCR system can detect a broad range of intact or degraded bacterial DNAs. The data were compared with each other and with the results of morphometric evaluations performed on the same specimens. The results clearly show a correlation between sex test success and archaeological site. Most of the DNA preparations contained a bacterial fraction. The presence of bacterial DNA does not appear to appreciably influence the sex test.
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