Paleoparasitological report on Ascaris aDNA from an ancient East Asian sample

Abstract

In this study, Ascaris DNA was extracted and sequenced from a medieval archaeological sample in Korea. While Ascaris eggs were confirmed to be of human origin by archaeological evidence, it was not possible to pinpoint the exact species due to close genetic relationships among them. Despite this shortcoming, this is the first Ascaris ancient DNA (aDNA) report from a medieval Asian country and thus will expand the scope of Ascaris aDNA research.

Keywords

• Ascaris
• ancient DNA
• cytochrome b
• 18S rRNA