Archaeological dental calculus

Background

Dental calculus is the mineralized form of dental plaque that serves as a long-term source of host, microbial, and ambient biomolecules (e.g., DNA, protiens). Many studies have shown that dental calculus provides a robust environment for DNA preservation but this DNA is subject to a range of degradation processes that might bias our results. In this context, I am interested in how DNA is preserved in dental calculus, the limitations of this source of DNA for understanding past health and behavior, and what systematic biases we might expect from these type of genetic analyses.

Relevant publications

• Do I have something in my teeth? The trouble with genetic analyses of diet from archaeological dental calculus. 2020. Mann AE, Fellows Yates JA, Fagernäs Z, Austin RM, Nelson EA, Hofman CA. Quaternary International

• The efficacy of whole human genome capture on ancient dental calculus and dentin. 2018. Ziesemer KA, Ramos-Madrigal J, Mann AE, Brandt BW, Sankaranarayanan K, Ozga AT, Hoogland M, Hofman CA, Salazar-Garcia DC, Frohlich B, Milner GR, Stone AC, Aldenderfer M, Lewis CM, Hofman CL, Warinner C, Schroeder H. American Journal of Physical Anthropology

• Differential preservation of endogenous human and microbial DNA in dental calculus and dentin. 2018. Mann AE, Sabin S, Ziesemer KA, Vågene Å, Schroeder H, Ozga AT, Sankaranarayanan K, Hofman CA, Fellows Yates JA, Salazar-Garcia DC, Frohlich B, Aldenderfer M, Hoogland M, Read C, Krause J, Hofman C, Bos K, Warinner C. Scientific Reports

• Intrinsic challenges in ancient microbiome reconstruction using 16S rRNA gene amplification. 2015. Ziesemer KA, Mann AE, Sankaranarayanan K, Schroeder H, Ozga AT, Brandt BW, Zaura E, Waters-Rist A, Hoogland M, Salazar-Garcia DC, Aldenderfer M, Speller C, Hendy J, Weston DA, MacDonald SJ, Thomas GH, Collins MJ, Lewis CM, Hofman C, Warinner C. Scientific Reports

Code

Other Media

Posters

• Allison E. Mann, Susanna Sabin, Kirsten Ziesemer Åshlid J. Vågene, Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan, Andrew T. Ozga, James Fellows Yates, Christopher Reed, Alexander Herbig, Johannes Krause, Menno Hoogland, Corinne Hofman, Kirsten Bos, Christina Warinner. (2018). Ancient DNA from archaeological teeth and dental calculus preserves traces of biological processes that occur during an individual’s life, and after their death. Oklahoma Archaeology Conference, Norman, OK, USA [PDF]

• Allison E. Mann, Susanna Sabin, Kirsten Ziesemer, Åshild J. Vågene, Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan, Andrew Ozga, James Fellows Yates, Christopher Read, Alexander Herbig, Johannes Krause, Menno Hoogland, Corinne Hofman, Kirsten Bos, Christina Warinner. (2017) Differential preservation of endogenous human and microbial DNA in dental calculus and dentin. Society for American Archaeology, 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, Canada [PDF]

• Kirsten A. Ziesemer, Allison E. Mann, Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan, Hannes Schroeder, Andrew T. Ozga, Bernd W. Brandt, Egija Zaura, Andrea Waters-Rist, Menno Hoogland, Domingo C. Salazar-Garcia, Mark Aldenderfer, Camilla Speller, Jessica Hendy, Darlene A. Weston, Sandy J. MacDonald, Gavin H. Thomas, Matthew J. Collins, Cecil M. Lewis, Corinne Hofman, and Christina Warinner. (2016) Intrinsic challenges in ancient microbiome reconstruction using 16S rRNA gene amplification. Student Research and Creativity Day, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA [PDF]

Presentations

• (2021) Archaeogenetic detection of eukaryotes in host-associated microbial communities: challenges and considerations. Standards, Precautions & Advances in Ancient Metagenomics (SPAAM3)
• (2021) Do I have something in my teeth? Preservation of DNA in archaeological dental calculus. Biological Sciences Seminar Series, Clemson University
• (2018) Undercharacterized aspects of the human microbiome: parasites, predators, and old plaque. Microbiome Seminar Series, University of British Columbia
• (2017) Length polymorphisms and preservation biases in ancient microbiome research. Seminar lecture, Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma
• (2017) Differential preservation of DNA in archaeological dental calculus and dentin has implications for ancient microbiome research. EcoMunch group, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma
• (2017) DNA preservation in archaeological dental calculus and dentin. Department of Archaeogenetics seminar series, Max Planck Institute Für Menschheitsgeschichte