Nondestructive DNA extraction from sperm whale teeth and scrimshaw

Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), have been hunted throughout their global distribution. As a result, sizeable collections of sperm whale teeth and scrimshaw are held in museum and private collections. Access to these specimens for genetic analysis is limited due to the tendency of DNA extracti...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: F. B. Pichler, M. L. Dalebout, C. S. Baker
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2000
Subjects:
DNA extraction
mtDNA
museum specimens
scrimshaw
sperm whale
teeth
Physeter macrocephalus
Sperm whale
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.325.9164
http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/md/Pichler_2001_MEN.pdf
Description
Summary:Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), have been hunted throughout their global distribution. As a result, sizeable collections of sperm whale teeth and scrimshaw are held in museum and private collections. Access to these specimens for genetic analysis is limited due to the tendency of DNA extraction techniques to destructively sample such specimens. Here we demonstrate that small amounts of bone powder, collected by drilling inside the root cavity, can yield sufficient DNA for sequencing without adversely affecting the specimen’s appearance. We anticipate that owners and curators of sperm whale teeth will be more amenable to genetic analysis using this extraction method.

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