DETERMINATION OF RELATEDNESS FROM BONES BY THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION FOR DNA

The methods of molecular genetics proved valuable not only in medicine but also in many other disciplines, e.g. historical anthropology, arc haeology and evolutionary biology In historical anthropology spongy bo ne often represents the major source from which nucleic acid can be ob tained. We isolated nucleic acid from teeth, bones and mummified soft tissues of a group of individuals buried between the end of the 17th c entury and the beginning of the 20th century. We have been successful not only in isolating DNA but also in verifying the relatedness betwee n different members of the family by the VNTR locus ApoB. The authenti city of the family founder's skull and other samples were confirmed by serological tests investigation. The polymorphic regions of chromosom es X and 2 were used in identification and comparison of the samples.