Multidisciplinary approach to identification of Gregor Johann Mendel's skeletal remains
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Folia Mendeliana : supplementum ad Acta Musei Moraviae |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | http://www.mzm.cz/e-shop?ai%5Baction%5D=list&ai%5Bcontroller%5D=Catalog&ai%5Bf_catid%5D=23&ai%5Bf_name%5D=Folia-Mendeliana |
| Keywords | Gregor Johann Mendel; mitogenome; palaeogenomics |
| Description | Skeletal remains of five members of the Order of St. Augustine were found in the tomb at the Central Cemetery in Brno during an archaeological excavation in 2021. The aim was to identify Gregor Johann Mendel. Archaeological, anthropological, and genetic approaches were used for this purpose. However, the most reliable method to distinguish his skeletal remains was genetic identification. Specifically, the whole mitochondrial DNA (mitogenome) was read by next-generation sequencing (NGS). The mitogenomes of all five men and twenty DNA samples from Mendel’s personal belongings (e.g., hair from his books and swabs) were compared. A match was found with one hair. The positive identification paved the way for proceeding with the project and reading his entire genome. |
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