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Ancient DNA: Methods and Protocols
Ancient DNA presents an overview of the many of the protocols commonly used to study ancient DNA. These include laboratory instructions, extraction protocols, laboratory techniques, and suggestions for appropriate analytical approaches to make sense of the sequences obtained.
226 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
22 people want to read
About the author
Beth Shapiro
10 books55 followersBeth Shapiro is associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, and she received a MacArthur Award in 2009.
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August 31, 2019It's difficult to rate this book as I feel that the individual authors that have contributed their papers to Shapiro's book deserve five star ratings. Ancient DNA is a topic that I am very interested in at the intellectual level.
This book is a collection of papers written by scientists and researchers in the field of ancient DNA research, and while I do find that this book is incredibly important to read for those of us that are interested in getting into this type of field, I did find that I was annoyed with the fact that I could have accessed these papers for free on other databases.
This book is more a set of protocols and procedures that scientists should follow in the laboratory when it comes to ancient specimens. This book is not for the casual reader who has no idea how things are run in lab. As somebody who has been educated in biotechnology and the way things are done in a lab (and have taken classes in DNA/genetics both in theory and in the lab), I understand what the authors are trying to get at with this book.
Since ancient DNA specimens provide small samples of DNA (usually degraded), these papers are meant to be used as a protocol for how to extract these samples in a way that yield results. This is also a procedure for how the laboratory should be run for ancient DNA as ancient specimens are at risk of being destroyed if in an environment that is disagreeable.
It's difficult to rate this book as I recommend it more for scientists that can understand and appreciate this more than the casual reader that is expecting a more easier and more understandable approach to ancient DNA research.
This book is a collection of papers written by scientists and researchers in the field of ancient DNA research, and while I do find that this book is incredibly important to read for those of us that are interested in getting into this type of field, I did find that I was annoyed with the fact that I could have accessed these papers for free on other databases.
This book is more a set of protocols and procedures that scientists should follow in the laboratory when it comes to ancient specimens. This book is not for the casual reader who has no idea how things are run in lab. As somebody who has been educated in biotechnology and the way things are done in a lab (and have taken classes in DNA/genetics both in theory and in the lab), I understand what the authors are trying to get at with this book.
Since ancient DNA specimens provide small samples of DNA (usually degraded), these papers are meant to be used as a protocol for how to extract these samples in a way that yield results. This is also a procedure for how the laboratory should be run for ancient DNA as ancient specimens are at risk of being destroyed if in an environment that is disagreeable.
It's difficult to rate this book as I recommend it more for scientists that can understand and appreciate this more than the casual reader that is expecting a more easier and more understandable approach to ancient DNA research.
Displaying 1 of 1 review