title: Genetic analysis of 7 medieval skeletons from the Aragonese Pyrenees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform a genetic characterization of 7 skeletons from medieval age found in a burial site in the Aragonese Pyrenees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Allele frequencies of autosomal short tandem repeats (STR) loci were determined by 3 different STR systems. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome haplogroups were determined by sequencing of the hypervariable segment 1 of mtDNA and typing of phylogenetic Y chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNP) markers, respectively. Possible familial relationships were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete or partial STR profiles were obtained in 3 of the 7 samples. Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup was determined in 6 samples, with 5 of them corresponding to the haplogroup H and 1 to the haplogroup U5a. Y-chromosome haplogroup was determined in 2 samples, corresponding to the haplogroup R. In one of them, the sub-branch R1b1b2 was determined. mtDNA sequences indicated that some of the individuals could be maternally related, while STR profiles indicated no direct family relationships.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the antiquity of the samples and great difficulty that genetic analyses entail, the combined use of autosomal STR markers, Y-chromosome informative SNPs, and mtDNA sequences allowed us to genotype a group of skeletons from the medieval age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. carolina@unizar.es
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Núnéz
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sosa
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baeta
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geppert
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turnbough
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Casalod
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolea
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roby
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Budowle
authors.forename: Begona
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martínez-Jarreta
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001842:Bone and Bones; D055699:Cemeteries / Q000266:history*; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005060:Europe; D053803:Forensic Genetics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006239:Haplotypes; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial