Comments on: Dating medieval manuscripts via DNA http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/15/dating-medieval-manuscripts-via-dna/ The blog of John D. Cook Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:42:11 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: John http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/15/dating-medieval-manuscripts-via-dna/comment-page-1/#comment-12103 John Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:03:24 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1279#comment-12103 You're right. I'm so used to equating "pages" and "paper" that I wrote the latter when I meant the former. Thanks. You’re right. I’m so used to equating “pages” and “paper” that I wrote the latter when I meant the former. Thanks.

]]> By: John Venier http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/15/dating-medieval-manuscripts-via-dna/comment-page-1/#comment-12095 John Venier Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:07:20 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1279#comment-12095 You mean parchment or vellum, right? If so there may well be a good chance since I imagine they were made from nearby flocks. I've heard grass pollen can survive with the DNA intact for incredibly long times, even in some kinds of fossils. A professor I knew speculated that this may well confound genetic analysis of ancient materials, but in the case of processed skin I think you ought to be able to clean off any contaminants really well. Of course, even if you can date the origin of the material there is still room for confusion because of the practice of using palimpsests. You mean parchment or vellum, right? If so there may well be a good chance since I imagine they were made from nearby flocks.

I’ve heard grass pollen can survive with the DNA intact for incredibly long times, even in some kinds of fossils. A professor I knew speculated that this may well confound genetic analysis of ancient materials, but in the case of processed skin I think you ought to be able to clean off any contaminants really well.

Of course, even if you can date the origin of the material there is still room for confusion because of the practice of using palimpsests.

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