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Writer's pictureTina Gambell

Decoding Ancient DNA: How Science Brings the Chilihueques Back to Life

Introduction: The Power of Ancient DNA




The development of DNA sequencing technologies has revolutionised our ability to study ancient populations. For the chilihueques of Isla Mocha, ancient DNA is providing answers to questions that have remained unsolved for centuries.


How DNA Survives Through Time

DNA degrades over time, but under the right conditions, small fragments can survive for thousands of years. Scientists have become experts at extracting and amplifying these fragments to recover information about ancient species.

“DNA preservation, recovery and authenticity: Of the 14 excavated samples from Isla Mocha, six samples yielded sequenceable libraries... three libraries successfully recovered nearly complete camelid mitochondrial genome data.” (Westbury et al., 2016)


Sequencing the Mitochondrial Genome

The mitochondrial genome is a small yet powerful source of genetic information. It allows scientists to trace maternal lineages, making it ideal for reconstructing the ancestry of long-extinct populations. In the case of the chilihueques, mitochondrial DNA was used to identify the species and trace its origins.


“Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of all three sequenced camelid samples from Isla Mocha grouped unambiguously with L. guanicoe.” (Westbury et al., 2016)


The Challenges of Ancient DNA Analysis

Studying ancient DNA is not without its challenges. Contamination, degradation, and incomplete data can all complicate analyses. The researchers employed methods such as hybridisation capture to enrich the mitochondrial DNA from the samples, allowing for more precise sequencing results.


“Hybridisation capture enrichment was used to sequence libraries enriched for mitochondrial DNA.” (Westbury et al., 2016)]


Conclusion: Bringing the Chilihueques Back

Thanks to advances in DNA sequencing, we now know more about the mysterious chilihueques than ever before. In the next post, we’ll explore where these animals came from and how they made their way to Isla Mocha.


Read our next blog in this series: The Journey of the Chilihueques: Tracing Their Origins Across South America


Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Keith Payne for sharing the document that made this exploration possible.

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