Survey of differential DNA preservation in archaeological remains across multiple skeletal elements

Ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses necessitate the destructive sampling of archaeological material. Currently the pars petrosa, the portion of the skull that houses the inner ear, is the most sought after skeletal element for molecular analyses of ancient humans as it has been shown to yield high amounts of endogenous DNA. Destructive Sampling of the pars petrosa, assuming its recovery, is not often recommended for highly valued specimens. To investigate alternatives, we present a survey of human aDNA preservation for each of ten skeletal elements. Through comparison of human DNA content and quality we confirm best performance of the pars petrosa and identify seven additional sampling locations across four skeletal elements that yield adequate aDNA for most applications. Our study provides a better perspective on DNA preservation across the skeleton and takes a step toward the more responsible use of ancient materials in aDNA studies.