DNA extraction and sex determination for human teeth dated 3000 years ago unearthed in Xi'an / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To extracted DNA from ancient human teeth dated 3000 years ago unearthed in Xi'an and determine the genders for the individuals.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty five ancient human teeth were studied. A 'Reverse-root-canal' technique and a Chelex-100 solution were used to extract the DNA. Specific primers for Amelogenin gene were designed for PCR amplification.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Genomic DNA was successfully extracted from 30 samples, for which 8 were determined to be males and 22 were females.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The 'Reverse-root-canal' technique may be used for extracting DNA from ancient human teeth. Genetics method can supplement physical anthropology for determination of sex for ancient samples.</p>