Post by djoser-xyyman on Jan 30, 2018 11:41:46 GMT -5
STR of the Amarnas
Identifications of Ancient Egyptian Royal Mummies from the 18th Dynasty Reconsidered M.E. Habicht, A.S. Bouwman, and F.J. R€uhli*
Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, CH 8057, Switzerland
Quote:
“Woodward made the first attempt at genetic analyses of some of these mummies, but the results remained
unpublished; however, some information was only shown in a documentary movie (Woodward et al., 2001; Habicht,
2014b, pp 52–53, 88; Marchant, 2014). He discovered inbreeding at the beginning and at the end of the
18th Dynasty and proposed that the mummy CG 61074 really is Amenhotep III. After the millennium, molecular
genetics opened a new door into the past, but the feasibility of acquiring authentic ancient DNA from Egyptian
mummies is still debated. Another project to obtain genetic profile of the Pharaohs by Sakuji Yoshimura was
turned down in 2000 (Marchant, 2014).”
“For the Tutankhamun Family project, such safety protocols were applied (Richards et al., 1995; Gad, 2010;
Gabolde, 2013a). Several facts speak clearly in favor of authentic aDNA:
The combination of nuclear data (Y- and autosomal chromosome–related markers) ****complemented ****each
other.”
ABSTRACT
For centuries, ancient Egyptian Royal mummies have drawn the attention both of the general public and scientists.
Many royal mummies from the New Kingdom have survived. The discoveries of the bodies of these ancient rulers
have always sparked much attention, yet not all identifications are clear even nowadays. This study presents a
meta-analysis to demonstrate the difficulties in identifying ancient Egyptian royal mummies. Various methods and
pitfalls in the identification of the Pharaohs are reassessed since new scientific methods can be used, such as ancient
DNA-profiling and CT-scanning. While the ancestors of Tutankhamun have been identified, some identities are still
highly controversial (e.g., the mystery of the KV-55 skeleton, recently most likely identified as the genetic father of
Tutankhamun). The meta-analysis confirms the suggested identity of some mummies (e.g., Amenhotep III, Thutmosis
IV, and Queen Tjye). Am J Phys Anthropol 159:S216–S231, 2016. VC 2016 American Association of Physical Anthropologists
Identifications of Ancient Egyptian Royal Mummies from the 18th Dynasty Reconsidered M.E. Habicht, A.S. Bouwman, and F.J. R€uhli*
Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, CH 8057, Switzerland
Quote:
“Woodward made the first attempt at genetic analyses of some of these mummies, but the results remained
unpublished; however, some information was only shown in a documentary movie (Woodward et al., 2001; Habicht,
2014b, pp 52–53, 88; Marchant, 2014). He discovered inbreeding at the beginning and at the end of the
18th Dynasty and proposed that the mummy CG 61074 really is Amenhotep III. After the millennium, molecular
genetics opened a new door into the past, but the feasibility of acquiring authentic ancient DNA from Egyptian
mummies is still debated. Another project to obtain genetic profile of the Pharaohs by Sakuji Yoshimura was
turned down in 2000 (Marchant, 2014).”
“For the Tutankhamun Family project, such safety protocols were applied (Richards et al., 1995; Gad, 2010;
Gabolde, 2013a). Several facts speak clearly in favor of authentic aDNA:
The combination of nuclear data (Y- and autosomal chromosome–related markers) ****complemented ****each
other.”
ABSTRACT
For centuries, ancient Egyptian Royal mummies have drawn the attention both of the general public and scientists.
Many royal mummies from the New Kingdom have survived. The discoveries of the bodies of these ancient rulers
have always sparked much attention, yet not all identifications are clear even nowadays. This study presents a
meta-analysis to demonstrate the difficulties in identifying ancient Egyptian royal mummies. Various methods and
pitfalls in the identification of the Pharaohs are reassessed since new scientific methods can be used, such as ancient
DNA-profiling and CT-scanning. While the ancestors of Tutankhamun have been identified, some identities are still
highly controversial (e.g., the mystery of the KV-55 skeleton, recently most likely identified as the genetic father of
Tutankhamun). The meta-analysis confirms the suggested identity of some mummies (e.g., Amenhotep III, Thutmosis
IV, and Queen Tjye). Am J Phys Anthropol 159:S216–S231, 2016. VC 2016 American Association of Physical Anthropologists
