Data from: A new model for ancient DNA decay based on paleogenomic meta-analysis

The persistence of DNA over archaeological and paleontological timescales
in diverse environments has led to a revolutionary body of paleogenomic
research, yet the dynamics of DNA degradation are still poorly understood.
We analyzed 185 paleogenomic datasets and compared DNA survival with
environmental variables and sample ages. We find cytosine deamination
follows a conventional thermal age model, but we find no correlation
between DNA fragmentation and sample age over the timespans analyzed, even
when controlling for environmental variables. We propose a model for
ancient DNA decay wherein fragmentation rapidly reaches a threshold, then
subsequently slows. The observed loss of DNA over time may be due to a
bulk diffusion process in many cases, highlighting the importance of
tissues and environments creating effectively closed systems for DNA
preservation. This model of DNA degradation is largely based on mammal
bone samples due to published genomic dataset availability. Continued
refinement to the model to reflect diverse biological systems and tissue
types will further improve our understanding of ancient DNA breakdown
dynamics.