Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Artist Statement
The field of molecular anthropology, specifically the focus of ancient DNA analysis of human specimens, affords the opportunity to obtain background information and relationship of specimens and artifacts that may have been otherwise forgotten. The Orton Quarry (36ER243) site is an example of how genetic analysis can restore archeological context to otherwise disassociated remains. The Orton Quarry site is a Late Prehistoric mass grave of human remains along the coast of Lake Erie in Northeastern Pennsylvania. In March 1991, heavy-equipment operators accidentally exposed and destroyed approximately two-thirds of the original ossuary, leaving only the eastern third intact before archeologists arrived. In the time since the excavation very little has been published on the Orton Quarry site, its importance, or its original inhabitants. One of the primary objectives of this project is to expand upon the few publications of the site and add anthropological insight for the region. By extracting and analyzing the mitochondrial DNA using the Dabney et al. (2013) protocol, and the established standards for degraded DNA contamination avoidance, we have obtained valuable data on the site’s genetic ancestry. Ancient DNA from the seven samples was isolated and the whole mitogenome was sequenced. Haplogroups will be assigned and the resulting sequences compared to a relevant dataset from the surrounding region to gauge population relatedness and shared derived mutations, as seen in Pfeiffer et al. (2014). Despite the small sample size, comparing the data from these individuals through haplogroup and haplotype data from the Great Lakes region will prove to be valuable by establishing the maternal relationship between the individuals interned at the site, as well as with the region as a whole. This research has the potential to expand our knowledge of the Orton Quarry Ossuary, the genetic data for the Great Lakes region as well as grow our genetic understanding of ancient mitochondrial DNA in North America.
Mentor Name
Meradeth Snow
Ancient DNA Extraction and Analysis of Bone Samples from Orton Quarry Ossuary
UC 331
The field of molecular anthropology, specifically the focus of ancient DNA analysis of human specimens, affords the opportunity to obtain background information and relationship of specimens and artifacts that may have been otherwise forgotten. The Orton Quarry (36ER243) site is an example of how genetic analysis can restore archeological context to otherwise disassociated remains. The Orton Quarry site is a Late Prehistoric mass grave of human remains along the coast of Lake Erie in Northeastern Pennsylvania. In March 1991, heavy-equipment operators accidentally exposed and destroyed approximately two-thirds of the original ossuary, leaving only the eastern third intact before archeologists arrived. In the time since the excavation very little has been published on the Orton Quarry site, its importance, or its original inhabitants. One of the primary objectives of this project is to expand upon the few publications of the site and add anthropological insight for the region. By extracting and analyzing the mitochondrial DNA using the Dabney et al. (2013) protocol, and the established standards for degraded DNA contamination avoidance, we have obtained valuable data on the site’s genetic ancestry. Ancient DNA from the seven samples was isolated and the whole mitogenome was sequenced. Haplogroups will be assigned and the resulting sequences compared to a relevant dataset from the surrounding region to gauge population relatedness and shared derived mutations, as seen in Pfeiffer et al. (2014). Despite the small sample size, comparing the data from these individuals through haplogroup and haplotype data from the Great Lakes region will prove to be valuable by establishing the maternal relationship between the individuals interned at the site, as well as with the region as a whole. This research has the potential to expand our knowledge of the Orton Quarry Ossuary, the genetic data for the Great Lakes region as well as grow our genetic understanding of ancient mitochondrial DNA in North America.