The 64 Maya Boys Buried Beneath Chichén Itzá — And The DNA Test That Found Two Pairs Of Identical Twins
Ancient DNA in Mesoamerica: The Methodological Frontier
The generation of high-quality ancient genome data from human remains in Mesoamerica has been more difficult than comparable work in other regions of the world, and the methods developed to address those difficulties are worth explaining.
The challenge begins with preservation.
DNA degrades over time at rates that depend heavily on temperature and moisture.
Warm, humid tropical environments — like the Yucatán Peninsula — are among the most challenging for ancient DNA preservation.
Bacterial and fungal activity in warm, moist soils rapidly destroys the organic molecules of bone, including DNA.
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