Ancient DNA damage

Abstract

Under favorable conditions DNA can survive for thousands of years in the remains of dead organisms. The DNA extracted from such remains is invariably degraded to a small average size by processes that at least partly involve depurination. It also contains large amounts of deaminated cytosine residues that are accumulated toward the ends of the molecules, aswell as several other lesions that are less well characterized. © 2013 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.