67 results on '"Elisabetta Cilli"'
Search Results
2. Archaeogenetics
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Elisabetta Cilli
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- 2023
3. Museomics Provides Insights into Conservation and Education:The Instance of an African Lion Specimen from the Museum of Zoology 'Pietro Doderlein'
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Elisabetta Cilli, Francesco Fontani, Marta Maria Ciucani, Marcella Pizzuto, Pierangelo Di Benedetto, Sara De Fanti, Thomas Mignani, Carla Bini, Rocco Iacovera, Susi Pelotti, Filippo Spadola, Donata Luiselli, Sabrina Lo Brutto, Cilli, Elisabetta, Fontani, Francesco, Ciucani, Marta Maria, Pizzuto, Marcella, Di Benedetto, Pierangelo, De Fanti, Sara, Mignani, Thoma, Bini, Carla, Iacovera, Rocco, Pelotti, Susi, Spadola, Filippo, Luiselli, Donata, and Lo Brutto, Sabrina
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Settore L-ART/04 - Museologia E Critica Artistica E Del Restauro ,education ,lion ,Ecology ,Ecological Modeling ,Settore BIO/05 - Zoologia ,conservation ,ancient DNA ,biodiversity ,digital restoration ,museomics ,museum collections ,Panthera leo leo ,phylogeography ,museum collection ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) ,museomic ,Settore BIO/06 - Anatomia Comparata E Citologia ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
Innovative technological approaches are crucial to enhance naturalistic museum collections and develop information repositories of relevant interest to science, such as threatened animal taxa. In this context, museomics is an emerging discipline that provides a novel approach to the enhancement and exploitation of these collections. In the present study, the discovery of a neglected lion skeleton in the Museum of Zoology “Pietro Doderlein” of the University of Palermo (Italy) offered the opportunity to undertake a multidisciplinary project. The aims of the study consisted of the following: (i) adding useful information for museographic strategies, (ii) obtaining a new genetic data repository from a vulnerable species, (iii) strengthening public awareness of wildlife conservation, and (iv) sharing new learning material. The remains of the lion were examined with a preliminary osteological survey, then they were restored by means of 3D printing of missing skeletal fragments. Phylogenetic analyses based on cytochrome b sequence clearly indicate that the specimen belongs to the Central Africa mitochondrial clade. At the end of the study, the complete and restored skeleton was exhibited, along with all of the information and data available from this project. This study shows a useful approach for the restoration and enhancement of a museum specimen, with important opportunities for preserving biodiversity and driving specific conservation policies, but also for providing Life Science learning material.
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- 2023
4. Giant cell tumor of bone in an eighteenth-century Italian mummy
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Mirko Traversari, Elisabetta Cilli, Enrico Petrella, Luca Ventura, Robin N. M. Feeney, Donata Luiselli, Sara Piciucchi, Ventura L., Petrella E., Piciucchi S., Cilli E., Luiselli D., Feeney R.N.M., and Traversari M.
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Adult ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Fibrous cortical defect ,Osteoclastoma ,Chondroblastoma ,History, 18th Century ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Osteoclastic giant cell–rich tumors ,Predictive Value of Tests ,medicine ,Neoplasm ,Humans ,Molecular Biology ,Paleopathology ,Giant Cell Tumor of Bone ,Benign fibrous histiocytoma ,business.industry ,Femoral Neoplasms ,Cell Biology ,General Medicine ,Aneurysmal bone cyst ,Non-ossifying fibroma ,Mummies ,medicine.disease ,Osteoclastic giant cell–rich tumor ,Italy ,Giant cell ,Original Article ,Female ,Giant cell tumor ,Fibroma ,business ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed ,Giant-cell tumor of bone - Abstract
Giant cell tumor (GCT) of the bone is a locally aggressive and rarely metastasizing neoplasm. It is composed of neoplastic mononuclear stromal cells with a monotonous appearance admixed with macrophages and osteoclast-like giant cells. In a small subset of cases, GCT is malignant. Terminology previously related to this entity, and which is no longer supported by the World Health Organization, includes osteoclastoma and benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH). Giant cells occur in numerous other pathologic conditions of the bone, which accounts for the misrepresentation of these non-GCT tumors in the early literature. Non-ossifying fibroma (NOF), aneurysmal bone cyst, and chondroblastoma have been erroneously labeled GCT for this reason. A single description of an ancient GCT was reported by Brothwell and Sandison and subsequently mentioned by Aufderheide and Rodrìguez-Martìn who were astonished that more of these tumors had not been identified in archaeological cases. To the best of our knowledge, no other cases of ancient GCT have been cited in the paleopathology literature. The study of this type of neoplasm in antiquity can be used as a means to better understand its characteristics and behavior and to expand the depth of time of the etiology of these lesions. We report a case of GCT of the left femur observed following the total body CT imaging of a partially mummified adult female, dating to eighteenth century.
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- 2021
5. Pliocene colonization of the Mediterranean by Great White Shark inferred from fossil records, historical jaws, phylogeographic and divergence time analyses
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Giuliano Doria, Maurizio Sarà, Stefano Vanni, Elisabetta Cilli, Francesco Ferretti, Primo Micarelli, Alessia Cariani, Andrea Gambarelli, Nicola Bressi, Fausto Tinti, Fabrizio Serena, Marco Arculeo, Guy Baele, Andrea Dall'Asta, Agostino Leone, Píndaro Díaz-Jaimes, Fulvio Garibaldi, Sandro Tripepi, Emilio Sperone, Gregory Neils Puncher, Daniela Minelli, Leone A., Puncher G.N., Ferretti F., Sperone E., Tripepi S., Micarelli P., Gambarelli A., Sara' M., Arculeo M., Doria G., Garibaldi F., Bressi N., Dall'Asta A., Minelli D., Cilli E., Vanni S., Serena F., Diaz-Jaimes P., Baele G., Cariani A., Tinti F., and Agostino Leone, Emilio Sperone, Stefano Vanni, Gregory N. Puncher, Primo Micarelli, Andrea Gambarelli, Maurizio Sarà, Sandro Tripepi, Marco Arculeo, Francesco Ferretti, Giuliano Doria, Fulvio Garibaldi, Nicola Bressi, Andrea Dall'Asta, Fabrizio Serena, Daniela Minelli, Elisabetta Cilli, Píndaro Díaz-Jaimes, Guy Baele, Alessia Cariani, Fausto Tinti
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LARGE PREDATORY SHARKS ,ATLANTIC ,Mediterranean climate ,Great White Shark, Mediterranean, historical DNA, divergence time, phylogeography, Carcharodon carcharias ,MIGRATION ,Environmental Sciences & Ecology ,divergence time ,Mediterranean ,phylogeography ,LAMNIDAE ,Carcharodon carcharias ,Great White Shark ,historical DNA ,Divergence ,Paleontology ,DISPERSAL ,biology.animal ,CARCHARODON-CARCHARIAS ,Colonization ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Science & Technology ,Ecology ,biology ,Geography, Physical ,Phylogeography ,Great white shark ,EXTINCTION ,Geography ,Physical Geography ,Physical Sciences ,CLOSURE ,PATTERNS ,GENETIC DIVERSITY ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Abstract
Aim: Determine the evolutionary origin of the heretofore poorly characterized contemporary Great White Shark (GWS; Carcharodon carcharias) of the Mediterranean Sea, using phylogenetic and dispersal vicariance analyses to trace back its global palaeo-migration pattern. Location: Mediterranean Sea. Taxon: Carcharodon carcharias. Methods: We have built the largest mitochondrial DNA control region (CR) sequence dataset for the Mediterranean GWS from referenced historical jaws spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. Mediterranean and global GWS CR sequences were analysed for genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships and divergence time. A Bayes factor approach was used to assess two scenarios of GWS lineage divergence and emergence of the Mediterranean GWS line using fossil records and palaeo-geographical events for calibration of the molecular clock. Results: The results confirmed a closer evolutionary relationship between Mediterranean GWS and populations from Australia–New Zealand and the North-eastern Pacific coast rather than populations from South African and North-western Atlantic. The Mediterranean GWS lineage showed the lowest genetic diversity at the global level, indicating its recent evolutionary origin. An evaluation of various divergence scenarios determined the Mediterranean GWS lineage most likely appeared some 3.23 million years ago by way dispersal/vicariance from Australian/Pacific palaeo-populations. Main conclusion: Based on the fossil records, phylogeographic patterns and divergence time, we revealed that the Mediterranean GWS population originated in the Pliocene following the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Colonization of the Mediterranean by GWS likely occurred via an eastward palaeo-migration of Australian/eastern Pacific elements through the Central American Seaway, before the complete closure of the Isthmus of Panama. This Pliocene origin scenario contrasts with a previously proposed scenario in which Australian GWS colonized the Mediterranean via antipodean northward migration resulting from navigational errors from South Africa during Quaternary climatic oscillations.
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- 2020
6. Inferring Signatures of Positive Selection in Whole-Genome Sequencing Data: An Overview of Haplotype-Based Methods
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Paolo Abondio, Donata Luiselli, ELISABETTA CILLI, Abondio P., Cilli E., and Luiselli D.
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haplotype ,haplotype composition ,statistic ,Genome ,Whole Genome Sequencing ,Linkage Disequilibrium ,selective sweep ,Haplotypes ,positive selection ,whole-genome sequencing ,haplotype homozygosity ,Genetics ,haplotype frequency ,haplotype-based method ,Selection, Genetic ,linkage ,Genetics (clinical) - Abstract
Signatures of positive selection in the genome are a characteristic mark of adaptation that can reveal an ongoing, recent, or ancient response to environmental change throughout the evolution of a population. New sources of food, climate conditions, and exposure to pathogens are only some of the possible sources of selective pressure, and the rise of advantageous genetic variants is a crucial determinant of survival and reproduction. In this context, the ability to detect these signatures of selection may pinpoint genetic variants that are responsible for a significant change in gene regulation, gene expression, or protein synthesis, structure, and function. This review focuses on statistical methods that take advantage of linkage disequilibrium and haplotype determination to reveal signatures of positive selection in whole-genome sequencing data, showing that they emerge from different descriptions of the same underlying event. Moreover, considerations are provided around the application of these statistics to different species, their suitability for ancient DNA, and the usefulness of discovering variants under selection for biomedicine and public health in an evolutionary medicine framework.
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- 2022
7. Un tempo da lupi: analisi paleogenetica della popolazione italiana di lupo durante l’ultima glaciazione
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Elisabetta Cilli, Marta Maria Ciucani, Luigi Canetti, Elisabetta Cilli, Angelica Aurora Montanari, Elisabetta Cilli, and Marta Maria Ciucani
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DNA antico, Canis lupus, genetica di popolazione, domesticazione, Ultimo Massimo Glaciale - Abstract
Il lupo ha da sempre rappresentato una specie fiera, misteriosa ed elusiva, capace di colpire l’immaginazione dell’uomo fin dall’epoca più remota. Nelle varie culture del mondo ha trovato posto come protagonista importante di fiabe, leggende e miti, suscitando visioni completamente opposte a seconda del contesto, le quali spaziano dalla mistica venerazione fino all’atavica paura, ma sempre caratterizzate da un’interazione complessa con l’uomo. Pochi animali infatti esemplificano il rapporto contrastato tra la società e la natura come il lupo. Dal punto di vista ecologico invece, questa specie riveste un importante ruolo come predatore all’apice della catena alimentare con effetto top-down sull’equilibrio degli ecosistemi. Nonostante questo ruolo fondamentale, in molte realtà sta ancora scontando i retaggi di antichi pregiudizi culturali, che lo figurano come una minaccia per l’uomo ed il resto della fauna, specialmente domestica.
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- 2021
8. Checklist of the Mammal Collection Preserved at the University of Palermo under the Framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center
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Sabrina Lo Brutto, Antonina Badalucco, Rocco Iacovera, Elisabetta Cilli, Maurizio Sarà, Lo Brutto, Sabrina, Badalucco, Antonina, Iacovera, Rocco, Cilli, Elisabetta, and Sara, Maurizio
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museomic ,Ecology ,Ecological Modeling ,zoological collection ,Settore BIO/05 - Zoologia ,tissue repositorie ,mammalia ,collection-holding universitie ,natural history museum ,zoological collections ,collection-holding universities ,museomics ,tissue repositories ,biodiversity ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
The latest reorganization of the Vertebrate collections preserved at the “Pietro Doderlein” Museum of Zoology of the University of Palermo (Italy) has made it possible to draw up a check-list of the Mammal taxa present in the stuffed (M), fluid-preserved (ML) and anatomical (AN) collections. The intervention was planned under the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) agenda, focused on the enhancement of Italian natural history museums. The growing interest in museum collections strongly demands databases available to the academic and policy world. In this paper, we record 679 specimens belonging to 157 specific taxa arranged in 58 families and 16 orders. Most of the species (75.1%) come from the Palaearctic Region (southern Mediterranean and North Africa), with a minority of taxa coming from the Afrotropical (7.8%), Neotropical (4.6%), Indo-Malayan (3.4%) and Australasian (1%) regions. Among the 24% of the taxa listed in the IUCN categories as threatened (VU, EN, CR, RE) the specimens of the Sicilian wolf, a regional endemic subspecies that became extinct in the last century, stand out. Even if small (
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- 2023
9. Paleogenetica e paleodemografia degli antichi abitanti di Roccapelago
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Elisabetta Cilli, Mirko Traversari, Sara De Fanti, Patrizia Serventi, Stefania Sarno, Andrea Quagliariello, Chiara Panicucci, Marta Maria Ciucani, Gianmarco Ferri, Donata Luiselli, Giorgio Gruppioni, Elisabetta Cilli, Mirko Traversari, and Elisabetta Cilli, Mirko Traversari, Sara De Fanti, Patrizia Serventi, Stefania Sarno, Andrea Quagliariello, Chiara Panicucci, Marta Maria Ciucani, Gianmarco Ferri, Donata Luiselli, Giorgio Gruppioni
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Mummie, DNA antico, paleodemografia, DNA mitocondriale, cromosoma Y, NGS - Abstract
Il progetto di studio delle mummie di Roccapelago, nato in seguito al ritrovamento, nella cripta della locale chiesa della Conversione di San Paolo Apostolo, dei resti di oltre 400 individui, molti dei quali parzialmente mummificati, ha previsto, fin dall’inizio, un approccio multidisciplinare volto all'integrazione dei risultati scaturiti dalle indagini archeoantropologiche, paleodemografiche e paleopatologiche con quelli prodotti dalle analisi genetiche dei reperti. A questo scopo è stato programmato, tra l’altro, anche uno studio diacronico del DNA finalizzato a indagare la struttura e le dinamiche della popolazione di Roccapelago nell’arco di circa quattro secoli, cioè dalla fase più antica di uso sepolcrale della cripta fino alla comunità attualmente vivente. La selezione dei campioni oggetto dello studio ha perciò riguardato sia i reperti antichi, risalenti a un periodo compreso tra il XVI e il XVIII secolo, sia membri attuali della comunità locale.
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- 2020
10. Genomes of the extinct Sicilian wolf reveal a complex history of isolation and admixture with ancient dogs
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Marta Maria Ciucani, Jazmín Ramos-Madrigal, Germán Hernández-Alonso, Alberto Carmagnini, Sabhrina Gita Aninta, Camilla Hjorth Scharff-Olsen, Liam Thomas Lanigan, Ilaria Fracasso, Cecilie G. Clausen, Jouni Aspi, Ilpo Kojola, Laima Baltrūnaitė, Linas Balčiauskas, Jane Moore, Mikael Åkesson, Urmas Saarma, Maris Hindrikson, Pavel Hulva, Barbora Černá Bolfíková, Carsten Nowak, Raquel Godinho, Steve Smith, Ladislav Paule, Sabina Nowak, Robert W. Mysłajek, Sabrina Lo Brutto, Paolo Ciucci, Luigi Boitani, Cristiano Vernesi, Hans K. Stenøien, Oliver Smith, Laurent Frantz, Lorenzo Rossi, Francesco Maria Angelici, Elisabetta Cilli, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, and Shyam Gopalakrishnan
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SummaryThe Sicilian wolf represented the only population of wolves living on a Mediterranean island until the first half of the twentieth century (1930s-1960s) 1–7. Previous studies hypothesised that they remained isolated from mainland wolves from the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) 8,9, until human persecutions led them to extinction 1–7.There are only seven known Sicilian wolf specimens from the 19th and 20th century preserved in museums in Italy and recent morphometric analyses assigned them to the new subspecies Canis lupus cristaldii10. To better understand the origins of the Sicilian wolf, and its relationship to other wolf populations, we sequenced four whole genomes (3.8×-11.6×) and five mitogenomes. We investigated the relationship between Sicilian wolves and other modern breeds to identify potential admixture. Furthermore, considering that the last land-bridge between Sicily and Italy disappeared after the LGM 11, around 17 kya, we explored the possibility that the Sicilian wolf retained ancestry from ancient wolf and dog lineages. Additionally, we explored whether the long-term isolation might have affected the genomic diversity, inbreeding levels and genetic load of the Sicilian wolf.Our findings show that the Sicilian wolves shared most ancestry with the modern Italian wolf population but are better modelled as admixed with European dog breeds, and shared traces of Eneolithic and Bronze age European dogs. We also find signatures of severe inbreeding and low genomic diversity at population and individual levels due to long-term isolation and drift, suggesting also low effective population size.
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- 2022
11. On the trail of medieval wolves: ancient DNA, CT-based analyses and palaeopathology of a 1000-year-old wolf cranium from the Po Valley (northern Italy)
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Dawid A. Iurino, Elisabetta Cilli, Romolo Caniglia, Elena Fabbri, Beniamino Mecozzi, Marta Maria Ciucani, Raffaele Sardella, Davide Persico, Iurino D.A., Cilli E., Caniglia R., Fabbri E., Mecozzi B., Ciucani M.M., Sardella R., and Persico D.
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aDNA ,morphology ,Canis lupu ,genetic ,medieval period ,palaeopathology ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences - Abstract
The Middle Ages represented a crucial period for the evolutionary history of wolves (Canis lupus), marked by both significant ecosystem changes, especially through the degradation of wooded landscapes and heavy persecution, that drove this species to a dramatic demographic decline. In Europe, informative and well-documented wolf remains from the Medieval Ages are exceptionally rare and are mostly represented by teeth and postcranial elements. In this study, we describe a well-preserved wolf cranium dated to ca. 967–1157 AD from the Po Valley (northern Italy). The specimen was analysed through a multidisciplinary approach including CT-based, ancient DNA, and palaeopathological analyses. Morphological and genetic data supported the assignment of this sample to Canis lupus species. CT-based analyses indicated a typical wolf-like morphology falling into the extant variability of the medium-sized subspecies C. lupus italicus, whereas palaeopathological analyses indicated a severe periodontitis. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Po valley wolf had a unique and never described mtDNA control region haplotype, testifying variability in the ancient Italian wolf, which has now been lost. This study provides the first comprehensive description of a wolf from the Middle Ages, adding useful information for a deeper knowledge about population dynamics, variability, and diseases of this species.
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- 2022
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12. Exploitation history of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean—insights from ancient bones
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Adam J Andrews, Antonio Di Natale, Darío Bernal-Casasola, Veronica Aniceti, Vedat Onar, Tarek Oueslati, Tatiana Theodropoulou, Arturo Morales-Muñiz, Elisabetta Cilli, Fausto Tinti, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna [Bologna] (UNIBO), Universidad de Cádiz (UCA), Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata [Roma], Istanbul University, Histoire, Archéologie et Littérature des Mondes Anciens - UMR 8164 (HALMA), Université de Lille-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ministère de la Culture (MC), Culture et Environnements, Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen-Age (CEPAM), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Andrews, Adam J., Di Natale Antonio, Bernal-Casasola, Darío, Aniceti, Veronica, Onar, Vedat, Oueslati, Tarek, Theodropoulou, Tatiana, Morales-Muñiz, Arturo, Cilli, Elisabetta, and Tinti, Fausto
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0106 biological sciences ,Ecology ,[SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,biomolecular analyses ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,01 natural sciences ,fish remains ,zooarchaeology ,[SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology ,040102 fisheries ,0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries ,Thunnus thynnus ,14. Life underwater ,historical marine ecology ,historical baselines ,biomolecular analyses, fish remains, historical baselines, historical marine ecology, Thunnus thynnus, zooarchaeology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS - Abstract
Overexploitation has directly, negatively affected marine fish populations in the past half-century, modifying not only their abundance but their behaviour and life-history traits. The recovery and resilience of such populations is dependent upon their exploitation history, which often extends back millennia. Hence, data on when exploitation intensified and how populations were composed in historical periods, have the potential to reveal long-term population dynamics and provide context on the baselines currently used in fisheries management and conservation. Here, we setup a framework for investigations on the exploitation history of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus; BFT) in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean by collating records of their zooarchaeological remains and critically reviewing these alongside the literature. Then, we outline how novel multidisciplinary applications on BFT remains may be used to document long-term population dynamics. Our review of literature provides clear evidence of BFT overexploitation during the mid-20th century ce. Furthermore, a strong case could be made that the intensification of BFT exploitation extends back further to at least the 19th century ce, if not the 13th–16th century ce, in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. However, a host of archaeological evidence would suggest that BFT exploitation may have been intensive since antiquity. Altogether, this indicates that by the currently used management baselines of the 1970s, population abundance and complexity was already likely to have declined from historical levels, and we identify how biomolecular and morphometric analyses of BFT remains have the potential to further investigate this.
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- 2022
13. Not Only Olfaction: The Nose, Protagonist of the Diversity and Individuality of the Human Face
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Elisabetta Cilli, Giorgio Gruppioni, Nicola Di Stefano, Maria Teresa Russo, Cilli Elisabetta, and Gruppioni Giorgio
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Human individuality ,otorhinolaryngologic diseases ,Nasal morphology ,Human evolution and adaptation ,Facial morphology ,Human biodiversity - Abstract
Besides being involved in respiratory and olfactory functions, the human nose presents the peculiar morphological and functional characteristics that have emerged during the evolution of the face and neural skull. In particular, following the nasalization process, i.e., the formation of the nasal bone bridge and the development of the nasal cartilage, it took the form of a triangular pyramid protruding on the median plane of the face, contributing to defining those physiognomic traits that make the face of each individual unique and unmistakable. This chapter examines the genetic, physiological and climatic factors that are at the origin of the evolution and morphological variability of the nose and face. It also considers the possible selective mechanisms of a cultural and social nature which may lead to the unforeseeable and peculiar combinations of physiognomic traits of the nose and face that are the basis of personal identity and individual recognition. Finally, it looks at the genes involved in the characterization of specific traits of the nose and face and how they are contributing to skull-facial reconstruction.
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- 2022
14. Archaeogenetics of the Picenes and the legacy of the Roman expansion in Central Italy
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Ravasini, Francesco, Chiara, Giacometti, Helja, Niinemäe, Anu, Solnik, Chiara, Delpino, Stefano, Finocchi, Pierluigi, Giroldini, Oscar, Mei, Elisabetta, Cilli, Christiana Lyn Scheib, Cruciani, Fulvio, D'Atanasio, Eugenia, and Trombetta, Beniamino
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aDNA ,picenes ,archeogenomics - Published
- 2022
15. The facial reconstruction of Dante Alighieri using linear cranial measurements to predict his missing mandible
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Chantal Milani, Francesca Zangari, Elisabetta Cilli, and Giorgio Gruppioni
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Archeology ,Anthropology ,Computer Science Applications - Published
- 2022
16. Il contributo delle indagini biologiche e chimico-fisiche alla ricerca storico-archeologica. Alcuni casi di studio dal territorio modenese
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Elisabetta Cilli, Giorgio Gruppioni, Mirko Traversari, P. de Vingo, P. Cremonini, and Elisabetta Cilli, Giorgio Gruppioni, Mirko Traversari
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Bioarcheologia, Archeoantropologia, Resti umani, Biomolecole antiche, DNA antico - Abstract
In recent decades, scientific methodologies have revolutionized the approach to the study of archaeological evidence, helping to extract additional and sometimes unique information from them, for the purpose of reconstructing the past. An important impulse to these investigations was given by the application of the most advanced biological, bio-molecular and chemical-physical techniques to bioarchaeological finds and, in particular to human remains. After a brief review of the scientific methodologies widely used in this field, three case studies from the Modena area are presented: the study about the remains of Pico della Mirandola, the project about the Roccapelago mummies and the case of violent deaths of the necropolis of via Ciro Menotti (Modena).
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- 2020
17. Variabilità del microbiota e dieta nelle mummie di Roccapelago
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Elisabetta Cilli, Donata Luiselli, Mirko Traversari, Andrea Quagliariello, Federico Lugli, Patrizia Serventi, Maria Francesca Viola, Lorenzo Pavarini, Sara De Fanti, Anna Cipriani, Carlotta De Filippo, Giorgio Gruppioni, E. Cilli, M. Traversari, and Elisabetta Cilli, Donata Luiselli, Mirko Traversari, Andrea Quagliariello, Federico Lugli, Patrizia Serventi, Maria Francesca Viola, Lorenzo Pavarini, Sara De Fanti, Anna Cipriani, Carlotta De Filippo, Giorgio Gruppioni
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Mummie, DNA antico, microbiota, dieta, NGS, isotopi - Abstract
Le mummie di Roccapelago (MO) rappresentano un eccezionale ritrovamento archeologico, sia perché costituiscono un raro esempio di preservazione naturale dei membri di un'intera comunità montana di umile estrazione, vissuti in un arco temporale di circa due secoli, sia a motivo dell’eccezionale stato di conservazione degli inumati. Lo scavo archeologico nella cripta della Chiesa della Conversione di S. Paolo Apostolo a Roccapelago ha infatti permesso di recuperare i resti di oltre 400 individui, di cui circa 60 almeno parzialmente mummificati. La datazione dei reperti, effettuata sulla base della cultura materiale e dei registri parrocchiali, è stata circoscritta ad un arco temporale compreso tra la fine del XVI e la fine del XVIII secolo. Il processo di mummificazione che ha interessato una parte degli inumati è da attribuire plausibilmente alle peculiari condizioni microclimatiche della cripta, caratterizzate dall’aria secca e dalla particolare ventilazione, assicurata da due piccole finestre aperte sulla vallata. Le analisi preliminari sullo stato di conservazione dei tessuti molli mummificati, condotte mediante Spettroscopia Infrarossa in Trasformata di Fourier (FTIR) e Microscopia Elettronica a Scansione (SEM), hanno evidenziato, in generale, una buona conservazione delle strutture anatomiche e parziali alterazioni dei tessuti, preservati dalle condizioni chimico-fisiche dell’ambiente di deposizione. Le analisi antropologiche e paleopatologiche eseguite sui medesimi reperti hanno rivelato aspetti interessanti relativi alle caratteristiche fisiche e alle condizioni di vita e di salute dell’antica popolazione di Roccapelago, tra cui la notevole longevità di numerosi suoi membri, nonché il parziale isolamento geografico che ha caratterizzato la storia di questa comunità. Le peculiari condizioni di conservazione di una parte delle mummie di Roccapelago hanno infatti permesso di effettuare l’analisi molecolare del microbiota umano, cioè delle comunità di microrganismi presenti in diversi tessuti di individui vissuti tra il XVI e il XVIII secolo.
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- 2020
18. Il DNA delle mummie di Roccapelago: risultati preliminari
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Elisabetta Cilli, Alessio Zedde, Patrizia Serventi, Sara De Fanti, Andrea Quagliariello, Stefania Sarno, Giulia Graffi, Monica Mosconi, Mirko Traversari, Donata Luiselli, Giorgio Gruppioni, Mirko Traversari, Elisabetta Cilli, Alessio Zedde, Patrizia Serventi, Sara De Fanti, Andrea Quagliariello, Stefania Sarno, Giulia Graffi, Monica Mosconi, Donata Luiselli, and Giorgio Gruppioni
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aDNA ,NGS ,Aplotipo ,cromosoma Y ,Mummie - Abstract
Il ritrovamento, nella cripta della chiesa della Conversione di San Paolo di Roccapelago (MO), di resti umani attribuibili a un elevato numero di individui, cronologicamente collocabili fra il XVI e il XVIII sec., ha dato la possibilità di sviluppare un ampio progetto multidisciplinare, che ha coinvolto diversi ambiti di ricerca: dall’archeologia all’antropologia, dalla paleopatologia all’entomologia, dall’archivistica allo studio dell’abbigliamento, ecc. Ciò anche grazie alle straordinarie condizioni di conservazione dei resti, in parte mummificati, e alla numerosità degli inumati, i quali rappresentano plausibilmente l’intera comunità montana di Roccapelago che si è susseguita nell’arco di circa duecento anni. Nel contesto di simili ricerche, oggi un contributo significativo può derivare dall’analisi genetica dei reperti biologici attraverso l’esame del DNA che in essi si conserva, il cosiddetto DNA antico (aDNA). Ciò apre nuovi affascinanti orizzonti di ricerca rendendo possibile ricostruire la storia degli organismi che hanno lasciato qualche traccia del loro passato. La ricerca ha previsto l’applicazione delle più recenti ed innovative tecniche nel campo del DNA antico, comprese le tecnologie di sequenziamento di nuova generazione (Next Generation Sequencing). Le analisi sono state svolte tenendo sempre conto delle principali linee guida previste nel settore di ricerca del DNA antico. In particolare, queste rigorose procedure (Golden criteria) prevedono l’obbligo di utilizzare un laboratorio esclusivamente dedicato all’estrazione del DNA antico (clean lab) ed un accurato monitoraggio delle possibili contaminazioni dei campioni, in tutte le fasi della ricerca, dal campionamento alle analisi in laboratorio. E’ stato infatti chiaramente dimostrato come la possibilità di contaminazione da DNA esogeno moderno sia molto elevata qualora non siano state prese le adeguate precauzioni. In aggiunta a tutte le rigorose procedure volte a limitare le contaminazioni, sono stati genotipizzati tutti i ricercatori venuti in contatto con i reperti analizzati.
- Published
- 2020
19. Isolation and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Fermented Goat Milk in Tajikistan
- Author
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Folarin A. Oguntoyinbo, Gyu-Sung Cho, Katrin Schrader, Karlis Briviba, Claudia Cappello, Jan Kabisch, Niels Rösch, Paola Mattarelli, Charles M. A. P. Franz, Monica Marianna Modesto, Claudia Csovcsics, Elisabetta Cilli, Wilhelm Bockelmann, Horst Neve, Olakunle Fagbemigum, Cho, Gyu-Sung, Cappello, Claudia, Schrader, Katrin, Fagbemigum, Olakunle, Oguntoyinbo, Folarin A, Csovcsics, Claudia, Rösch, Niel, Kabisch, Jan, Neve, Horst, Bockelmann, Wilhelm, Briviba, Karli, Modesto, Monica, Cilli, Elisabetta, Mattarelli, Paola, and Franz, Charles M A P
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Tajikistan ,Streptococcus thermophilus ,Cultured Milk Products ,PH reduction ,Microbial Sensitivity Tests ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Kluyveromyces marxianus ,Lactobacillales ,RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ,Lactobacillus ,Fermented milk products ,Animals ,Food science ,fermentation ,Lactobacillu ,milk ,whole genome sequencing ,Microbial Viability ,biology ,Viscosity ,Goats ,food and beverages ,General Medicine ,Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ,biology.organism_classification ,Coculture Techniques ,Yeast ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Lactic acid ,lactic acid bacteria ,chemistry ,Food Microbiology ,Fermentation ,Genome, Bacterial ,Biotechnology - Abstract
The lactobacilli associated with a fermented goat milk product from Tajikistan were isolated to characterize their technological properties and antibiotic resistances in order to assess their suitability for development as starter cultures. In this study, twenty three strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as typical dairy-associated lactic acid bacterial strains, i.e. L. plantarum, L. pentosus, L. delbrueckii, L. helveticus and L. paracasei strains. These strains were generally susceptible to most antibiotics tested in this study and this allowed a selection of strains as safe starters. The draft genomes of four representative strains were sequenced and the number of contigs of the four assembled genomes ranged from 51 to 245 and the genome sizes ranged from 1.75 to 3.24 Mbp. These representative strains showed differences in their growth behavior and pH reducing abilities in in vitro studies. The co-inoculation of these Lactobacillus spp. strains together with a yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus MBT-5698, or together with the yeast and an additional Streptococcus thermophilus MBT-2, led to a pH reduction to 3.4 after 48 h. Only in the case of fermentation inoculated with the co-culture, the viscosity of the milk increased noticeably. In contrast, fermentations with single strains did not lead to gelation of the milk and to decrease the pH after 24h. The results of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the predominant lactobacilli related to Tajikistan fermented milk products.
- Published
- 2018
20. Twenty-Seven Y-Chromosome Short Tandem Repeats Analysis of Italian Mummies of the 16th and 18th Centuries: An Interdisciplinary Research
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Alessio Boattini, Carla Bini, Elisabetta Cilli, Stefania Sarno, Donata Luiselli, Francesco Fontani, Mirko Traversari, Susi Pelotti, Bini C., Cilli E., Sarno S., Traversari M., Fontani F., Boattini A., Pelotti S., and Luiselli D.
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Italian mummies ,Genetic genealogy ,Population ,Biology ,QH426-470 ,forensic genetic ,law.invention ,law ,Y-chromosome STRs ,Genotype ,Genetics ,anthropology ,Italian mummie ,education ,ancient DNA ,Genetics (clinical) ,Polymerase chain reaction ,Original Research ,education.field_of_study ,forensic genetics ,DNA extraction ,Ancient DNA ,Evolutionary biology ,Molecular Medicine ,Microsatellite ,Genetic isolate - Abstract
Roccapelago (MO) is a small village located in the Northern Central Apennines, with a population of 31 inhabitants (2014). In 2010, more than 400 individuals dated between the end of the 16th and the 18th century, many of which partially mummified, were discovered in the crypt of the church. This small village, because of its geographical location and surrounding environment, seems to possess the characteristics of a genetic isolate, useful for population genetics and genealogical analyses. Thus, a diachronic study of DNA aimed at investigating the structure and dynamics of the population of Roccapelago over the about 4 centuries, was conducted by analyzing ancient and modern inhabitants of the village. The 14 modern samples were selected by considering both the founder surnames of the village, identified thanks to the study of parish registers, and the grandparent’s criterion. From 25 ancient mummies, morphologically assigned to male individuals, the petrous bone, that harbors high DNA amounts, was selected for the DNA extraction. The quantification and qualitative assessment of total human male DNA were evaluated by a real-time PCR assay using the Quantifiler Trio DNA Quantification Kit and multiplex PCR of 27 Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STR) markers included in the Yfiler Plus PCR Amplification Kit, with seven rapidly mutating Y-STR loci for improving discrimination of male lineages, was performed to genotype the samples. Y-STRs were analyzed according to the criteria of ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis to ensure that authentic DNA typing results were obtained from these ancient samples. The molecular analysis showed the usefulness of the Y chromosome to identify historically relevant remains and discover patterns of relatedness in communities moving from anthropology to genetic genealogy and forensics.
- Published
- 2021
21. Insights into Punic genetic signatures in the southern necropolis of Tharros (Sardinia)
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Mirko Traversari, Anna Chiara Fariselli, Patrizia Serventi, Francesco Fontani, Gianmarco Ferri, Donata Luiselli, Sara De Fanti, Andrea Corona, Elisabetta Cilli, Stefania Sarno, Sarno, Stefania, Cilli, Elisabetta, Serventi, Patrizia, De Fanti, Sara, Corona, Andrea, Fontani, Francesco, Traversari, Mirko, Ferri, Gianmarco, Fariselli, Anna Chiara, and Luiselli, Donata
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Male ,Aging ,Tunisia ,Physiology ,Epidemiology ,Human Migration ,Population Dynamics ,Population ,DNA, Mitochondrial ,Mediterranean sea ,Genetics ,Humans ,Genetic variability ,DNA, Ancient ,Child ,education ,Tharro ,education.field_of_study ,Ancient DNA ,mtDNA ,Infant, Newborn ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Genetic Variation ,Infant ,archaeology ,Archaeology ,language.human_language ,Punic Sardinia ,Geography ,Italy ,Child, Preschool ,language ,Female ,Phoenician - Abstract
Background: Phoenician and Punic expansions have been protagonists of intense trade networks and settlements in the Mediterranean Sea. Aims: The maternal genetic variability of ancient Punic samples from the Sardinian necropolis of Tharros was analysed, with the aim to explore genetic interactions and signatures of past population events. Subjects and methods: The mtDNA HVS-I and coding region SNPs were analysed in 14 Punic samples and 74 modern individuals from Cabras and Belvì (for which the HVS-II region was also analysed). The results were compared with 5,590 modern Euro-Mediterranean sequences and 127 ancient samples. Results: While contemporary groups fall within the genetic variability of other modern Sardinians, our Punic samples reveal proximity to present-day North-African and Iberian populations. Furthermore, Cabras and Belvì cluster mainly with pre-Phoenician groups, while samples from Tharros project with other Punic Sardinian individuals. Conclusion: This study provides the first preliminary insights into the population dynamics of the Punic site of Tharros. While the number of currently available samples does not allow definitive investigation of the connection with indigenous Sardinian groups, our results seem to confirm internal migratory phenomena in the central-western Mediterranean and female participation in the Punic mobility.
- Published
- 2021
22. First bronze age human mitogenomes from calabria (Grotta della monaca, southern italy)
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Stefania Sarno, Francesco Fontani, Adam J. Andrews, Elisabetta Cilli, Adriana Latorre, Paolo Abondio, Felice Larocca, Martina Lari, Donata Luiselli, Alessandra Modi, Sara De Fanti, Emanuela Gualdi-Russo, Fabiola Arena, David Caramelli, Fontani, Francesco, Cilli, Elisabetta, Arena, Fabiola, Sarno, Stefania, Modi, Alessandra, De Fanti, Sara, Andrews, Adam Jon, Latorre, Adriana, Abondio, Paolo, Larocca, Felice, Lari, Martina, Caramelli, David, Gualdi-Russo, Emanuela, and Luiselli, Donata
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0301 basic medicine ,Bronze Age ,Population ,Socio-culturale ,mitochondrial DNA ,QH426-470 ,Article ,Ancient DNA ,Archaeology ,Human ,Italy ,Mitochondrial DNA ,Paleogenomics ,Evolution, Molecular ,Humans ,DNA, Ancient ,Genome, Human ,Genome, Mitochondrial ,Prehistory ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Cave ,Beaker ,Peninsula ,Genetics ,human ,education ,ancient DNA ,Genetics (clinical) ,geography ,education.field_of_study ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,paleogenomic ,paleogenomics ,archaeology ,language.human_language ,030104 developmental biology ,language ,Sicilian ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
The Italian peninsula was host to a strong history of migration processes that shaped its genomic variability since prehistoric times. During the Metal Age, Sicily and Southern Italy were the protagonists of intense trade networks and settlements along the Mediterranean. Nonetheless, ancient DNA studies in Southern Italy are, at present, still limited to prehistoric and Roman Apulia. Here, we present the first mitogenomes from a Middle Bronze Age cave burial in Calabria to address this knowledge gap. We adopted a hybridization capture approach, which enabled the recovery of one complete and one partial mitochondrial genome. Phylogenetic analysis assigned these two individuals to the H1e and H5 subhaplogroups, respectively. This preliminary phylogenetic analysis supports affinities with coeval Sicilian populations, along with Linearbandkeramik and Bell Beaker cultures maternal lineages from Central Europe and Iberia. Our work represents a starting point which contributes to the comprehension of migrations and population dynamics in Southern Italy, and highlights this knowledge gap yet to be filled by genomic studies.
- Published
- 2021
23. Genomic analysis of 18th-century Kazakh individuals and their oral microbiome
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Anna E. White, Toni de-Dios, Pablo Carrión, Gian Luca Bonora, Laia Llovera, Elisabetta Cilli, Esther Lizano, Maral K. Khabdulina, Daniyar T. Tleugabulov, Iñigo Olalde, Tomàs Marquès-Bonet, François Balloux, Davide Pettener, Lucy van Dorp, Donata Luiselli, Carles Lalueza-Fox, European Commission, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Generalitat de Catalunya, White A.E., De-Dios T., Carrion P., Bonora G.L., Llovera L., Cilli E., Lizano E., Khabdulina M.K., Tleugabulov D.T., Olalde I., Marques-Bonet T., Balloux F., Pettener D., van Dorp L., Luiselli D., and Lalueza-Fox C.
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QH301-705.5 ,education ,ancient pathogens ,Ancient pathogen ,Article ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Central Asian steppe ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Paleogenomic ,Biology (General) ,bacteria ,030304 developmental biology ,2. Zero hunger ,0303 health sciences ,Red complex ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,Ancient pathogens ,Bacteria ,4. Education ,paleogenomics ,Paleogenomics ,red complex ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
The Asian Central Steppe, consisting of current-day Kazakhstan and Russia, has acted as a highway for major migrations throughout history. Therefore, describing the genetic composition of past populations in Central Asia holds value to understanding human mobility in this pivotal region. In this study, we analyse paleogenomic data generated from five humans from Kuygenzhar, Kazakhstan. These individuals date to the early to mid-18th century, shortly after the Kazakh Khanate was founded, a union of nomadic tribes of Mongol Golden Horde and Turkic origins. Genomic analysis identifies that these individuals are admixed with varying proportions of East Asian ancestry, indicating a recent admixture event from East Asia. The high amounts of DNA from the anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria Tannerella forsythia, a periodontal pathogen, recovered from their teeth suggest they may have suffered from periodontitis disease. Genomic analysis of this bacterium identified recently evolved virulence and glycosylation genes including the presence of antibiotic resistance genes predating the antibiotic era. This study provides an integrated analysis of individuals with a diet mostly based on meat (mainly horse and lamb), milk, and dairy products and their oral microbiome., C.L.-F. is supported by a PGC2018-0955931-B-100 grant (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) of Spain; T.M.-B. is supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 864203), BFU2017-86471-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE), “Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu”, funded by the AEI (CEX2018-000792-M), Howard Hughes International Early Career, Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca and CERCA Programme del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya (GRC 2017 SGR 880). L.v.D. is supportd by a UCL Excellence Fellowship. The Ministry of the Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan permitted and granted the research and the study (Grant number AP09261134). Additional financial contribution was provided by the ISMEO of Rome.
- Published
- 2021
24. Human Genomics and the Biocultural Origin of Music
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Livia Beccacece, Elisabetta Cilli, Donata Luiselli, Donatella Restani, Paolo Abondio, and Livia Beccacece, Paolo Abondio, Elisabetta Cilli, Donatella Restani, Donata Luiselli
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0301 basic medicine ,QH301-705.5 ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Context (language use) ,Review ,adaptation ,Musical ,behavioral disciplines and activities ,Catalysis ,Inorganic Chemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Convergent evolution ,Perception ,evolution ,expression ,Animals ,Humans ,music ,genetics ,Biology (General) ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,Sociocultural evolution ,QD1-999 ,Molecular Biology ,Spectroscopy ,media_common ,Cognitive science ,Genome, Human ,Organic Chemistry ,Genomics ,General Medicine ,Biological Evolution ,humanities ,culture ,Computer Science Applications ,Musicality ,musicality ,Chemistry ,030104 developmental biology ,nervous system ,Expression (architecture) ,genetic ,Singing ,Psychology ,human activities ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Music is an exclusive feature of humankind. It can be considered as a form of universal communication, only partly comparable to the vocalizations of songbirds. Many trends of research in this field try to address music origins, as well as the genetic bases of musicality. On one hand, several hypotheses have been made on the evolution of music and its role, but there is still debate, and comparative studies suggest a gradual evolution of some abilities underlying musicality in primates. On the other hand, genome-wide studies highlight several genes associated with musical aptitude, confirming a genetic basis for different musical skills which humans show. Moreover, some genes associated with musicality are involved also in singing and song learning in songbirds, suggesting a likely evolutionary convergence between humans and songbirds. This comprehensive review aims at presenting the concept of music as a sociocultural manifestation within the current debate about its biocultural origin and evolutionary function, in the context of the most recent discoveries related to the cross-species genetics of musical production and perception.
- Published
- 2021
25. Enamel peptides reveal the sex of the Late Antique ‘Lovers of Modena’
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Carla Figus, Marco Sola, Rita Sorrentino, Laura Buti, Diego Pinetti, Filippo Genovese, Federico Lugli, Simona Arrighi, Matteo Romandini, Giulia Marciani, Antonino Vazzana, Sara Silvestrini, Stefano Benazzi, Giulia Di Rocco, Gregorio Oxilia, Gaia Gabanini, Maria Cristina Carile, Eugenio Bortolini, Elisabetta Cilli, Anna Cipriani, Lugli Federico, Giulia Di Rocco, Antonino Vazzana, Filippo Genovese, Diego Pinetti, Elisabetta Cilli, Maria Cristina Carile, Sara Silvestrini, Gaia Gabanini, Simona Arrighi, Laura Buti, Eugenio Bortolini, Anna Cipriani, Carla Figu, Giulia Marciani, Gregorio Oxilia, Matteo Romandini, Rita Sorrentino, Marco Sola, and Stefano Benazzi
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0301 basic medicine ,Proteomics ,Male ,Sex Determination Analysis ,Antique ,lcsh:Medicine ,Biology ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,proteomics ,0302 clinical medicine ,stomatognathic system ,Dental Enamel Proteins ,enamel peptides ,LC-MS/MS ,tooth ,sex ,Lc ms ms ,Humans ,lcsh:Science ,Dental Enamel ,AMELX ,proteomic ,Multidisciplinary ,Enamel paint ,Amelogenin ,Dental enamel ,lcsh:R ,Paleontology ,Peptide Fragments ,Sexual dimorphism ,030104 developmental biology ,Italy ,Evolutionary biology ,visual_art ,Anthropology ,visual_art.visual_art_medium ,enamel peptide ,lcsh:Q ,Female ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Recent work has disclosed the critical role played by enamel peptides in sex classification of old skeletal remains. In particular, protein AMELY (amelogenin isoform Y) is present in the enamel dental tissue of male individuals only, while AMELX (isoform X) can be found in both sexes. AMELY can be easily detected by LC-MS/MS in the ion extracted chromatograms of the SM(ox)IRPPY peptide (monoisotopic [M + 2 H]+2 mass = 440.2233 m/z). In this paper, we exploited the dimorphic features of the amelogenin protein to determine the sex of the so-called ‘Lovers of Modena’, two Late Antique individuals whose skeletons were intentionally buried hand-in-hand. Upon discovery, mass media had immediately assumed they were a male-female couple, even if bad preservation of the bones did not allow an effective sex classification. We were able to extract proteins from the dental enamel of both individuals (~1600 years old) and to confidently classify them as males. Results were compared to 14 modern and archaeological control samples, confirming the reliability of the ion chromatogram method for sex determination. Although we currently have no information on the actual relationship between the ‘Lovers of Modena’ (affective? Kin-based?), the discovery of two adult males intentionally buried hand-in-hand may have profound implications for our understanding of funerary practices in Late Antique Italy.
- Published
- 2019
26. The first bishop of Forlì: Saint Mercurialis. Scientific recognition and palaeopathological analysis
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Mirko Traversari, Elisabetta Cilli, Donata Luiselli, Giorgio Gruppioni, Mariagrazia Bridelli, Luca Saragoni, Enrico Petrella, and Mirko Traversari, Elisabetta Cilli, Donata Luiselli, Giorgio Gruppioni, Mariagrazia Bridelli, Luca Saragoni, Enrico Petrella
- Subjects
aDNA ,Paleopathology ,Canonical recognition ,Relic - Abstract
Historical information related to the life of St. Mercurialis is very scarce, everything we currently know, we owe to its legenda, is contained within the manuscript Casanatense 718 dating to the 12th century. The only certain historical information concerns the ordination of one of his successors, Grato, which took place in Ravenna during the 5th century. The relics of St. Mercurialis, preserved inside the homonymous abbey, in the Cathedral of Santa Croce and in the Santissima Trinità church, during 2018 were object of the sixth canonical recognition, necessary to verify the state of conservation of the bones.
- Published
- 2019
27. Molecular identification of endangered marine predators by barcoding ancient museum rostra of Mediterranean sawfish populations (Chondrichthyes, Pristidae)
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Valentina Crobe, Caterina Bergonzini, Elisabetta Cilli, Alice Ferrari, Agostino Leone, Francesco Ferretti, Fausto Tinti, Alessia Cariani, and Valentina Crobe, Caterina Bergonzini, Elisabetta Cilli, Alice Ferrari, Agostino Leone, Francesco Ferretti, Fausto Tinti, Alessia Cariani
- Subjects
Sawfish, Pristidae, museum rostra, aDNA - Abstract
Background: A growing concern in conserving threatened animals affected by human impact has been significant worldwide. Among marine animals, sawfishes (Chondrichthyes, Pristidae) are considered one of the most endangered families among lasmobranchs, resulting in extinction in many coastal areas around the world, including the Mediterranean Sea. Here, sawfish ccurred with two species, Pristis pristis and P. pectinata, until the second half of the last century and are now considered Critically ndangered/Possibly Extinct. The historical occurrence of sawfish in the area is documented by bibliographic/ archival records and y numerous preserved historical rostra available in museum collections. In this study we attempted to genetically characterize the istorical remains of sawfish from several European museums and to enable the investigation of their evolutionary and ecological relationships with global samples. Results: A total of 80 rostra specimens, dated from 1700 to 1900 and catalogued as unknown origin or Mediterranean (11), were collected from 11 European museums and were properly prepared for ancient DNA genetic analysis. Taxonomic identification at the species level was obtained through PCR amplification of small fragments (150 bp) of two mitochondrial markers commonly used for species identification (i.e., the mitochondrial COII and the NADH 2). Sequence comparison with currently available ones from public repositories and phylogenetic tree analyses indicated that the historical specimens belonged to four species, P. pristis, P. zijsron, P. pectinata, and Anoxypristis cuspidate, with a high frequency of mismatches (69%) between molecular identification and species museum cataloguing, when present. These preliminary data also showed the presence of two sequence sub-clusters in the poorly barcoded species P. zijsron. Significance: With the expansion of this initial analysis, we will contribute to increase the limited olecular data of these critically endangered large predators and to exploit historical genetic data for reconstructing phylogenetic/phylogeographic extent of the possibly extinct population of Mediterranean sawfish.
- Published
- 2019
28. Per una nuova ricognizione delle ossa di Dante
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Giorgio Gruppioni, Elisabetta Cilli, Alfredo Cottignoli, Sebastiana Nobili, Giorgio Gruppioni, and Elisabetta Cilli
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Dante alighieri, ricognizione, DNA antico, conservazione, causa di morte - Published
- 2019
29. A multifaceted approach towards investigating childbirth deaths in double burials: Anthropology, paleopathology and ancient DNA
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Gianmarco Ferri, Patrizia Serventi, Gaia Gabanini, Donata Luiselli, Stefania Sarno, Mirko Traversari, Sara De Fanti, Alda Bazaj, Giorgio Gruppioni, Elisabetta Cilli, Marta Maria Ciucani, Angelica Fregnani, Giuseppe Cornaglia, and Elisabetta Cilli, Gaia Gabanini, Marta Maria Ciucani, Sara De Fanti, Patrizia Serventi, Alda Bazaj, Stefania Sarno, Gianmarco Ferri, Angelica Fregnani, Giuseppe Cornaglia, Giorgio Gruppioni, Donata Luiselli, Mirko Traversari
- Subjects
Archeology ,Archaeogenetics ,History ,Ancient DNA ,Anthropology ,Multidisciplinary analysis ,Archaeological record ,Childbirth ,Ancient DNA, Anthropology, Maternal kinship, Mitochondrial DNA, Childbirth deaths, Double burials, Archaeology ,History of medicine ,Paleopathology - Abstract
Evidence of maternal care and childbirth events in the past are rare in the archaeological record and are difficult to recognize. To combat this, we analyzed thirteen double burials potentially related to childbirth death events, thereby containing an adult and a perinate. The specimens were excavated from the archaeological area identified as “Forli Campus” (Forli, Italy), that dated to 17th-18th centuries AD and was adjacent to a hospital in use at that time. This period witnessed the development of medical techniques and novel approaches in obstetrics in Europe, with the introduction of lying-in hospitals and maternity wards. We here tested if the double burials were ascribable to childbirth death events and thus represent the first reported cases of the hospitalization of childbirth in the history of medicine. A multidisciplinary analysis was undertaken to achieve this aim, combining anthropology, archaeology, paleopathology and archaeogenetics. In five burials the adult individual was recognized as a female in fertile age and the non-adult individual was assigned as perinate. Mitochondrial DNA analysis highlighted different haplotypes among the individuals of these burials, and these results, combined with the archaeological and anthropological data do not support a possible maternal relationship between them. This study is novel in testing the hypotheses of childbirth deaths, through a reliable approach in the interpretation of these archaeological contexts. The analysis of ancient DNA in this particular application proves a useful strategy to support and complete the interpretation of archaeological and anthropological data, showing that a general assumption of mother/child relations within such burials can be misleading.
- Published
- 2020
30. Multi-analytic study of a probable case of fibrous dysplasia (FD) from certosa monumental cemetery (Bologna, Italy)
- Author
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Lucio Calcagnile, Rita Sorrentino, Francesco Feletti, Sara Piciucchi, Antonino Vazzana, Mirko Traversari, Elisabetta Cilli, Gregorio Oxilia, Robin N. M. Feeney, Giulio Catalano, Sara De Fanti, Giorgio Gruppioni, Stefano Benazzi, Donata Luiselli, Emanuela Cristiani, L. Saragoni, Enrico Petrella, Maria Cristina Serrangeli, Mirko Traversari, Maria Cristina Serrangeli, Giulio Catalano, Enrico Petrella, Sara Piciucchi, Francesco Feletti, Gregorio Oxilia, Emanuela Cristiani, Antonino Vazzana, Rita Sorrentino, Sara De Fanti, Donata Luiselli, Lucio Calcagnile, Luca Saragoni, Robin N.M. Feeney, Giorgio Gruppioni, Elisabetta Cilli, and Stefano Benazzi
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Osteochondroma ,Adult ,Male ,Archeology ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Probable Case ,Context (language use) ,Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Pseudo-tumor, Developmental anomaly, Ancient DNA, Para-functional facets ,Ossuary ,Medicine ,Craniofacial Fibrous Dysplasia ,Humans ,0601 history and archaeology ,Cemeteries ,Pathological ,Osteosarcoma ,060101 anthropology ,060102 archaeology ,business.industry ,Fibrous dysplasia ,History, 19th Century ,06 humanities and the arts ,Radiological examination ,History, 20th Century ,medicine.disease ,Osteitis Deformans ,Ancient DNA ,Amino Acid Substitution ,Italy ,Mutation ,business ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed - Abstract
Objective To evaluate, via a multidisciplinary approach, a distinctive paleopathological condition believed to be fibrous dysplasia, found on a 19th/20th century skeleton from Certosa Monumental Cemetery, Bologna, Italy. Materials A skeletonized cranium and mandible recovered from an ossuary in 2014. Methods Pathological alterations were analysed by radiological examination, dental macrowear, histopathological and genetic analyses. Result The skeleton is believed to be an adult male. Differential diagnoses include Paget's disease, McCune-Albright syndrome, osteochondroma and osteosarcoma. The radiographic findings, along with the solitary nature of the lesions, are strong evidence for the diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia (FD). Genetic analysis further revealed a frequency of ˜1% of mutant alleles with the R201C substitution, one of the post-zygotic activating mutation frequently associated with FD. Conclusions The multi-analytical method employed suggests a diagnosis of monostotic form of FD. The diagnostic design incorporates multiple lines of evidence, including macroscopic, histopathological, and genetic analyses. Significance Through the use of a multi-analytic approach, robust diagnoses can be offered. This case serves as one of the oldest examples of FD from an historical context. The genetic mutation detected, associated with FD, has not been previously reported in historical/ancient samples.
- Published
- 2018
31. Pope Leo XII's death: the twist to a longstanding dispute by novel historical documents and paleopathographic analysis
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Patrizia Serventi, Elisabetta Cilli, Francesco M. Galassi, Stefano Benazzi, Mirko Traversari, Luigi Tomassini, Giorgio Gruppioni, Ilaria Fiumi Sermattei, University of Zurich, Fiumi Sermattei, Ilaria, and Ilaria Fiumi Sermattei, Mirko Traversari, Patrizia Serventi, Giorgio Gruppioni, Luigi Tomassini, Stefano Benazzi, Elisabetta Cilli, Francesco M. Galassi
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Male ,History ,Paleopathology ,Autopsy ,610 Medicine & health ,Black Legend ,Sudden death ,Hemorrhoids ,Vatican City ,paleopathographic analysi ,Diagnosis, Differential ,Vatican Secret Archive ,Sepsis ,Humans ,Shadow (psychology) ,Aged ,bacterial superinfection ,Catholicism ,Historical Article ,History, 19th Century ,Bacterial Infections ,Holy See ,Genealogy ,autopsy report ,Anthropology ,Superinfection ,11294 Institute of Evolutionary Medicine ,Bacterial superinfection ,3314 Anthropology - Abstract
Although the practice of autopsy on the Pope's corpse was performed from the 16th century, autopsy reports are only rarely analysed, and never with the aim of investigating the real causes of the death from a concomitant medical and historical point of view. Here, for the first time, we report on the discovery of new unpublished documents from the Vatican Secret Archives and their investigation by a scientific and inter-disciplinary approach. This analysis allows us to draw new conclusions on the true cause of Leo XII's mysterious death. His sudden death, that occurred on February 10th, 1829 after a short illness, particularly struck the public. Suspicions of poisoning or surgeon's guilt or inexperience and even the shadow of a venereal disease, contributed to create a "black legend" on his pontificate and death. On the contrary, the present paleopathographic analysis points toward a new conclusion. The regular use of catheterization with a silver syringe provided an easy access for bacterial superinfection, confirmed by the observed early emphysematous stage of the corpse. So, the most substantiated hypothesis concerning the cause of Leo XII's death indicates a severe form of sepsis, exacerbated by a weakened state due to chronic hemorrhoids.
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- 2018
32. Il lupo che venne dal freddo: i reperti di ex Cava a Filo rivelano l’antica origine del lupo italiano (Canis lupus italicus, Altobello 1921) attraverso lo studio del DNA antico
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Davide Palumbo, Marta Maria Ciucani, Marco Galaverni, Patrizia Serventi, Gloria Ravegnini, Sabrina Angelini, Romolo Caniglia, Giorgio Gruppioni, Elisabetta Cilli, Gabriele Nenzioni e Fiamma Lenzi, and Davide Palumbo, Marta Maria Ciucani, Marco Galaverni, Patrizia Serventi, Gloria Ravegnini, Sabrina Angelini, Romolo Caniglia, Giorgio Gruppioni, Elisabetta Cilli
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Canis lupus, DNA antico, DNA mitocondriale, ex Cava a Filo, Pleistocene - Abstract
L’origine e l’unicità genetica del lupo italiano (Canis lupus italicus) sono state oggetto di diversi studi. Recenti pubbli- cazioni descrivono la distribuzione spazio-temporale di due ecomor , uno dei quali (HG2), associato alla megafauna pleistocenica, era dominante in Eurasia e in America durante l’ultimo massimo glaciale (LGM). In seguito al successivo cambiamento climatico un “nuovo” ecomorfo (HG1) ha sostituito i lupi preesistenti in Nord America, ed è divenuto progressivamente dominante in Eurasia. La popolazione italiana attuale è l’unica sopravvissuta interamente riferibile all’ecomorfo antico, ma le dinamiche che hanno portato a questa situazione non sono ben de nite. I reperti di ex Cava a Filo (16 campioni, datati da circa 25000 a circa 17400 anni fa) sono stati analizzati allo scopo di confrontare una regione del DNA mitocondriale con sequenze antiche e moderne di lupi e cani. Dai risultati emergono analogie con lupi antichi dell’Europa settentrionale e della Beringia, lupi moderni e anche cani primitivi e recenti. Alcuni campioni mostrano una notevole similitudine con i lupi italiani contemporanei. I lupi preistorici di ex Cava a Filo, associati a bisonti e megaceri, appartenevano solo alla popolazione riferita a HG2, caratterizzata da una maggiore variabilità e in continuità con la situazione attuale. Presumibilmente l’ondata migratoria dei lupi con HG1 non ha raggiunto l’Italia in numeri signi cativi, facendo della penisola italiana l’ultimo rifugio di un’antica popolazione di lupo un tempo di usa nell’intero emisfero nord.
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- 2018
33. A probable case of Spondylocostal Dysplasia (Jarcho-Levin Syndrome) from 18th century northern Italy
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Mirko Traversari, FIGUS, CARLA, Enrico Petrella, Sara Piciucchi, Antonino Vazzana, Elisabetta Cilli, Luca Saragoni, Francesco M. Galassi, Stefano Benazzi, Mirko Traversari, Carla Figu, Enrico Petrella, Sara Piciucchi, Antonino Vazzana, Elisabetta Cilli, Luca Saragoni, Francesco M. Galassi, and Stefano Benazzi
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Jarcho-Levin syndrome ,paleopathology ,Spondylocostal dysplasia syndrome ,non-adult - Abstract
This case report examines the differential diagnosis of an unusually fused chest belonging to a perinatal human remain retrieved in the crypt of Roccapelago (Italy). This specimen, which dated back to the final 18th century, showed a severe synostosis of the costovertebral articulations and posterior arches. The specimen was examined macroscopically and radiologically for the purpose of identify differences in mineral density. It also underwent CT scan in order to create a 3D digital model and virtually reposition in anatomical position. The radiological trophism, size, and osteological maturity of the specimen are compatible with a perinate. The chest morphology shows a characteristic crab like morphology, with the costovertebral articulations and the posterior arches completely fused. Accordingly, a diagnosis of Jarcho Levin Syndrome has been suggested. This case appears to be the first report, to the knowledge of the authors, of a probable Jarcho-Levin syndrome, which dated before Jarcho and Levin codified this pathology in the scientific literature.
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- 2018
34. Between Anthropology, Genetics and Obstetrics: a Study of Potential Childbirth Deaths from the Hospital Cemetery of Forlì Campus (18th Century)
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Gaia Gabanini, Marta Maria Ciucani, Patrizia Serventi, Giorgio Gruppioni, Elisabetta Cilli, Sara de Fanti, Angelica Fregnani, Donata Luiselli, Costanza Gislon Dopfel, Gaia Gabanini, Marta Maria Ciucani, Patrizia Serventi, Giorgio Gruppioni, Elisabetta Cilli, Sara de Fanti, Angelica Fregnani, and Donata Luiselli
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Obstetrics, Genetics, Childbirth - Abstract
In 2014 an archaeological area dated between the 17th and the 18th centuries and located in the historical downtown of the city of Forlì (FC), in Northern Italy, offered the possibility to retrieve and study a huge amount of burials, some of which contained perinatal individuals buried in the same grave with adults. The location of this archaeological site (identified as “Forlì Campus”), near the area of the ancient city hospital, generated the idea that this site could have been the hospital cemetery in the 18th century. The possibility to study the bisome burials, represented by an adult and a perinatal individual, coupled with the period to which they date, make this sample of particularly interest. In fact, since prehistoric times, pregnancy, labor, birth and obstetrics have been women’s field.
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- 2018
35. Dissecting the Pre-Columbian genomic ancestry of Native Americans along the Andes-Amazonia divide
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Patrizia Di Cosimo, Davide Gentilini, Tullia Di Corcia, Marco Sazzini, Zelda Alice Franceschi, Claudio Franceschi, Laura Gianvincenzo, Stefania Sarno, Elisabetta Cilli, Sara De Fanti, Taylor Jesus Dàvila Francia, Olga Rickards, Cristina Giuliani, Eugenio Bortolini, Antonio González-Martín, Cesar Sanchez Mellado, Davide Pettener, Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, Donata Luiselli, Anna Maria Di Blasio, Alessio Boattini, Gnecchi-Ruscone, Guido Alberto, Sarno, Stefania, De Fanti, Sara, Gianvincenzo, Laura, Giuliani, Cristina, Boattini, Alessio, Bortolini, Eugenio, Di Corcia, Tullia, Sanchez Mellado, Cesar, Dàvila Francia, Taylor Jesu, Gentilini, Davide, Di Blasio, Anna Maria, Di Cosimo, Patrizia, Cilli, Elisabetta, Gonzalez-Martin, Antonio, Franceschi, Claudio, Franceschi, Zelda Alice, Rickards, Olga, Sazzini, Marco, Luiselli, Donata, and Pettener, Davide
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Gene Flow ,0106 biological sciences ,population genomics ,Human Migration ,genome-wide SNPs ,Andes ,Biology ,Settore BIO/08 ,Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Beringia ,Lineage (anthropology) ,Native American ancestry ,03 medical and health sciences ,Amazonia ,Genetic drift ,Genetics ,Humans ,Molecular Biology ,Discoveries ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,030304 developmental biology ,Principal Component Analysis ,0303 health sciences ,Models, Genetic ,Genome, Human ,Amazon rainforest ,Human migration ,business.industry ,Indians, South American ,Genetic Variation ,South America ,15. Life on land ,Genética ,Phylogeography ,Evolución ,Haplotypes ,Evolutionary biology ,Genetic structure ,population genomics, Native American ancestry, genome-wide SNPs, Andes, Amazonia ,Gene pool ,business - Abstract
Extensive European and African admixture coupled with loss of Amerindian lineages makes the reconstruction of pre-Columbian history of Native Americans based on present-day genomes extremely challenging. Still open questions remain about the dispersals that occurred throughout the continent after the initial peopling from the Beringia, especially concerning the number and dynamics of diffusions into South America. Indeed, if environmental and historical factors contributed to shape distinct gene pools in the Andes and Amazonia, the origins of this East-West genetic structure and the extension of further interactions between populations residing along this divide are still not well understood. To this end, we generated new high-resolution genome-wide data for 229 individuals representative of one Central and ten South Amerindian ethnic groups from Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Low levels of European and African admixture in the sampled individuals allowed the application of fine-scale haplotype-based methods and demographic modeling approaches. These analyses revealed highly specific Native American genetic ancestries and great intragroup homogeneity, along with limited traces of gene flow mainly from the Andes into Peruvian Amazonians. Substantial amount of genetic drift differentially experienced by the considered populations underlined distinct patterns of recent inbreeding or prolonged isolation. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that all non-Andean South Americans are compatible with descending from a common lineage, while we found low support for common Mesoamerican ancestors of both Andeans and other South American groups. These findings suggest extensive back-migrations into Central America from non-Andean sources or conceal distinct peopling events into the Southern Continent.
- Published
- 2019
36. Comparison and optimization of genetic tools used for the identification of ancient fish remains recovered from archaeological excavations and museum collections in the Mediterranean region
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Arturo Morales-Muñiz, Fausto Tinti, Darío Bernal Casasola, Agostino Leone, Tom Moens, Elisabetta Cilli, Gregory Neils Puncher, Alessia Cariani, Francesco Massari, Vedat Onar, Nezir Yaşar Toker, Puncher G.N., Cariani A., Cilli E., Massari F., Leone A., Morales-Muniz A., Onar V., Toker N.Y., Bernal Casasola D., Moens T., and Tinti F.
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Archeology ,mini-barcode ,Species distribution ,Biodiversity ,molecular identification ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,DNA extraction ,Mediterranean sea ,Evolutionary biology ,Anthropology ,ancient DNA extraction ,Identification (biology) ,Thunnus thynnus ,characteristic attribute ,Internal transcribed spacer ,Tuna ,Thunnus - Abstract
Among the many fish species commercially exploited since prehistoric times, Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is one of the most economically significant, having left an indelible imprint on several civilizations including the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. Here, we describe our efforts to identify tuna specimens among the remains of 345 fish vertebrae and bones in several large collections from the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea, dating from the Late Iron Age (2nd century BCE) to the early 20th century (1911-1927). Unfortunately, ancient fish specimens are often mislabelled, which can cause a great deal of confusion among zoologists. Protocols were developed and optimized to overcome the unique challenges related to the compromised integrity of genetic material preserved in ancient bones. Three DNA isolation protocols were compared to maximize yields, and as reported for other faunal remains, a silica spin column-based method was proven most effective. Endogenous DNA was successfully extracted from the majority of bones and amplified using polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and an assortment of four primer pairs targeting nuclear (internal transcribed spacer) and mitochondrial sequences (cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 and control region). Protocols targeting mitochondrial markers were more successful than those focused on nuclear targets. Due to the restricted length of the extracted DNA molecules, character-based keys containing diagnostic nucleotide substitutions were defined and used to identify 231 samples to genera, of which 171 were identified to species level. The success rate of assignment of specimens to species level varied between location and collection, reflecting variation in DNA preservation between different sites and environments. The methods detailed herein can be used to identify other ancient fish specimens and provide information about historical human diets, trade, species distribution, and biodiversity. The same tools can be applied to the analysis of processed food items with highly damaged DNA.
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- 2019
37. Earliest evidence of Focal Cemento-Osseous Dysplasia in the Late Upper Palaeolithic
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Gregorio Oxilia, Nicola Perrini, Antonio Oxilia3 Andrea Papini, Marco Boggioni, Luca Pagani, Tina Saupe, Christiana Lyn Scheib, Carla Figus, Elisabetta Cilli, Eugenio Bortolini, Federica Badino, Federico Lugli, Giulia Marciani, Jessica C Menghi Sartorio, Matteo Romandini, Sara Silvestrini, Simona Arighi, Federico Bernardini, Claudio Tuniz, Federica Fontana, Sahra Talamo, Maurizio d'Esposito, and Stefano Benazzi
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Focal Cemento-Osseous Dysplasia ,benign fibro-osseous lesion ,Late Upper Paleolithic - Published
- 2019
38. The genetic legacy of the Yaghnobis: A witness of an ancient Eurasian ancestry in the historically reshuffled central Asian gene pool
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Davide Pettener, Patrizia Serventi, Davide Gentilini, Guido Alberto Gnecchi Ruscone, Giorgio Gruppioni, Paolo Ognibene, Antonio Clemente Domenico Panaino, Gloria Ravegnini, Paolo Delaini, Anna Maria Di Blasio, Stefania Sarno, Sabrina Angelini, Donata Luiselli, Sara De Fanti, Gian Pietro Basello, Gianmarco Ferri, Marco Sazzini, Elisabetta Cilli, Susi Pelotti, Cilli, Elisabetta, Sarno, Stefania, Gnecchi Ruscone, Guido Alberto, Serventi, Patrizia, De Fanti, Sara, Delaini, Paolo, Ognibene, Paolo, Basello, Gian Pietro, Ravegnini, Gloria, Angelini, Sabrina, Ferri, Gianmarco, Gentilini, Davide, Di Blasio, Anna Maria, Pelotti, Susi, Pettener, Davide, Sazzini, Marco, Panaino, Antonio, Luiselli, Donata, Gruppioni, Giorgio, DIP. DI STORIE E METODI PER LA CONSERVAZIONI DEI BENI CULTURALI, DIPARTIMENTO DI BENI CULTURALI, DIPARTIMENTO DI FARMACIA E BIOTECNOLOGIE, DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE BIOLOGICHE, GEOLOGICHE E AMBIENTALI, DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE MEDICHE E CHIRURGICHE, Facolta' di CONSERVAZIONE dei BENI CULTURALI, Da definire, AREA MIN. 05 - Scienze biologiche, AREA MIN. 10 - Scienze dell'antichita,filologico-letterarie e storico-artistiche, and AREA MIN. 06 - Scienze mediche
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0106 biological sciences ,Male ,Tajikistan ,Mitochondrial DNA ,Steppe ,Genetic genealogy ,Human Migration ,genome-wide SNPs ,Context (language use) ,mitochondrial DNA ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Lingua franca ,DNA, Mitochondrial ,Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ,White People ,Gene flow ,Anthropology, Physical ,Asian People ,Y-chromosome ,Yaghnobis ,Ethnicity ,Humans ,0601 history and archaeology ,computer.programming_language ,060101 anthropology ,Middle East ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Chromosomes, Human, Y ,06 humanities and the arts ,Geography ,Evolutionary biology ,Anthropology ,Gene pool ,Metagenomics ,Anatomy ,computer ,genome-wide SNP - Abstract
reserved 19 no Objectives: The Yaghnobis are an ethno-linguistic minority historically settled along the Yaghnob River in the Upper-Zarafshan Valley in Tajikistan. They speak a language of Old Sogdian origin, which is the only present-day witness of the Lingua Franca used along the Silk Road in Late Antiquity. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the genetic history of this community in order to shed light on its isolation and genetic ancestry within the Euro-Asiatic context. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 DNA samples were collected in the Yaghnob and Matcha Valleys during several expeditions and their mitochondrial, Y-chromosome and autosomal genome-wide variation were compared with that from a large set of modern and ancient Euro-Asiatic samples. Results: Findings from uniparental markers highlighted the long-term isolation of the Yaghnobis. Mitochondrial DNA ancestry traced an ancient link with Middle Eastern populations, whereas Y-chromosome legacy showed more tight relationships with Central Asians. Admixture, outgroup-f3, and D-statistics computed on autosomal variation corroborated Y-chromosome evidence, pointing respectively to low Anatolian Neolithic and high Steppe ancestry proportions in Yaghnobis, and to their closer affinity with Tajiks than to Iranians. Discussion: Although the Yaghnobis do not show evident signs of recent admixture, they could be considered a modern proxy for the source of gene flow for many Central Asian and Middle Eastern groups. Accordingly, they seem to retain a peculiar genomic ancestry probably ascribable to an ancient gene pool originally wide spread across a vast area and subsequently reshuffled by distinct demographic events occurred in Middle East and Central Asia. mixed Cilli, Elisabetta*; Sarno, Stefania; Gnecchi Ruscone, Guido Alberto; Serventi, Patrizia; De Fanti, Sara; Delaini, Paolo; Ognibene, Paolo; Basello, Gian Pietro; Ravegnini, Gloria; Angelini, Sabrina; Ferri, Gianmarco; Gentilini, Davide; Di Blasio, Anna Maria; Pelotti, Susi; Pettener, Davide; Sazzini, Marco; Panaino, Antonio; Luiselli, Donata; Gruppioni, Giorgio Cilli, Elisabetta*; Sarno, Stefania; Gnecchi Ruscone, Guido Alberto; Serventi, Patrizia; De Fanti, Sara; Delaini, Paolo; Ognibene, Paolo; Basello, Gian Pietro; Ravegnini, Gloria; Angelini, Sabrina; Ferri, Gianmarco; Gentilini, Davide; Di Blasio, Anna Maria; Pelotti, Susi; Pettener, Davide; Sazzini, Marco; Panaino, Antonio; Luiselli, Donata; Gruppioni, Giorgio
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- 2019
39. Population Dynamics in Italian Canids between the Late Pleistocene and Bronze Age
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Gabriele Nenzioni, Elena Maini, Kyriaki Koupadi, Carla Bini, Elisabetta Cilli, Romolo Caniglia, Stefania Sarno, Paolo Reggiani, Marta Maria Ciucani, Donata Luiselli, Francesco Fontani, Antonio Curci, Maurizio Cattani, Adam J. Andrews, Susi Pelotti, Sara De Fanti, Koupadi, Kyriaki, Fontani, Francesco, Ciucani, Marta Maria, Maini, Elena, De Fanti, Sara, Cattani, Maurizio, Curci, Antonio, Nenzioni, Gabriele, Reggiani, Paolo, Andrews, Adam J, Sarno, Stefania, Bini, Carla, Pelotti, Susi, Caniglia, Romolo, Luiselli, Donata, and Cilli, Elisabetta
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0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,dogs ,MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA ,Population Dynamics ,mitochondrial DNA ,01 natural sciences ,Haplogroup ,Domestication ,Phylogeny ,Genetics (clinical) ,ANCESTORS ,WOLF ,education.field_of_study ,ORIGIN ,Fossils ,ANCIENT DNA EVIDENCE ,humanities ,CONTAMINATION ,ADMIXTURE ,Geography ,Italy ,dog ,lcsh:QH426-470 ,Pleistocene ,Population ,Context (language use) ,DNA Fragmentation ,DNA, Mitochondrial ,010603 evolutionary biology ,Article ,Evolution, Molecular ,domestication ,03 medical and health sciences ,ancient DNA ,archaeology ,population genetics ,Bronze Age ,Genetics ,Animals ,Genetic variability ,education ,Canidae ,GRAVETTIAN PREDMOSTI SITE ,Wolves ,Genetic Variation ,PALEOLITHIC DOGS ,lcsh:Genetics ,030104 developmental biology ,Ancient DNA ,Evolutionary biology - Abstract
Dog domestication is still largely unresolved due to time-gaps in the sampling of regions. Ancient Italian canids are particularly understudied, currently represented by only a few specimens. In the present study, we sampled 27 canid remains from Northern Italy dated between the Late Pleistocene and Bronze Age to assess their genetic variability, and thus add context to dog domestication dynamics. They were targeted at four DNA fragments of the hypervariable region 1 of mitochondrial DNA. A total of 11 samples had good DNA preservation and were used for phylogenetic analyses. The dog samples were assigned to dog haplogroups A, C and D, and a Late Pleistocene wolf was set into wolf haplogroup 2. We present our data in the landscape of ancient and modern dog genetic variability, with a particular focus on the ancient Italian samples published thus far. Our results suggest there is high genetic variability within ancient Italian canids, where close relationships were evident between both a similar to 24,700 years old Italian canid, and Iberian and Bulgarian ancient dogs. These findings emphasize that disentangling dog domestication dynamics benefits from the analysis of specimens from Southern European regions.
- Published
- 2020
40. Analisi antropologiche su alcuni inumati provenienti dalle necropoli metapontine: tombe 18, 336 e 415. Il caso del cosiddetto 'musicista acromegalico'
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Antonino Vazzana, Giuditta Franceschini, Maria Cristina Serrangeli, Mirko Traversari, Elisabetta Cilli, Gabriele Monetti, Stefano Benazzi, Giorgio Gruppioni, Bellia. A, De Siena. A, Gruppioni G., Antonino, Vazzana, Giuditta, Franceschini, Maria Cristina Serrangeli, Mirko, Traversari, Elisabetta, Cilli, Gabriele, Monetti, Stefano, Benazzi, and Giorgio, Gruppioni
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Analisi antropologiche, necropoli metapontine, musicista, acromegalico - Abstract
Nel volume sono presentati i risultati di un progetto di ricerca che si colloca in un ambito di studi interdisciplinare, teso a coniugare l’indagine sulla documentazione archeologica di interesse musicale con la ricerca archeologica e le relative estensioni all’ambito dell’archeogenetica. Le testimonianze finora note in ambito magnogreco sono state arricchite dai nuovi reperti, sia per quantità, cronologia e significato, sia per l’ottimo stato di conservazione di alcuni esemplari. Lo studio si è poi concentrato sullo studio di tre tombe di Metaponto, di straordinario interesse per la presenza di parti di carapaci usati come casse di risonanza di strumenti musicali a corde. Gli strumenti musicali trovati nelle sepolture sono stati analizzati nei loro significati simbolici, religiosi e cultuali, in relazione con aspetti culturali e religiosi della società di Metaponto.
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- 2017
41. Dinamiche di popolamento a Tharros in età punica. Analisi archeogenetiche preliminari dei reperti osteologici della tomba A2 della necropoli meridionale di Capo San Marco
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Patrizia Serventi, Elisabetta Cilli, Sara De Fanti, Stefania Sarno, Donata Luiselli, Giorgio Gruppioni, and Patrizia Serventi, Elisabetta Cilli, Sara De Fanti, Stefania Sarno, Donata Luiselli, Giorgio Gruppioni
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ancient DNA (aDNA), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Population-Genetic, Phoenician-Punic, Archaeology, Tharros - Abstract
Several human osteological remains were found in the burial called “Grave A2”, which was discovered during the archaeological campaign (2014) at the southern Punic necropolis of Tharros. In this paper, through the ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis of the first hypervariable segment (HVS-I) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), we tried to define the ethnic origin and possible kinship relationship between the individuals buried, as well as to determine genetic affinities with current human populations of the Mediterranean Area. Durante la campagna di scavo del 2014 presso la necropoli meridionale punica di Tharros è stata individuata una sepoltura, denominata Tomba A2, all’interno della quale sono stati rinvenuti diversi reperti osteologici umani. Nel presente lavoro, si è cercato di definire attraverso l’analisi del DNA antico (aDNA), e in particolare attraverso lo studio della prima regione ipervariabile (HVS-I) del DNA mitocondriale (mtDNA), l’origine etnica e le eventuali relazioni di parentela degli inumati sepolti, nonché determinare le affinità genetiche conpopolazioni moderne dell’area mediterranea.
- Published
- 2017
42. Inferring chronological age from DNA methylation patterns of human teeth
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Cristina Giuliani, Paolo Garagnani, Giorgio Gruppioni, Claudio Franceschi, Chiara Pirazzini, Marco Sazzini, Donata Luiselli, Maria Giulia Bacalini, and Elisabetta Cilli
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0301 basic medicine ,Genetics ,Biodemography ,Human evolutionary genetics ,Methylation ,Biology ,stomatognathic diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,Ancient DNA ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,stomatognathic system ,Evolutionary biology ,Anthropology ,DNA methylation ,Dentin ,medicine ,Pulp (tooth) ,Cementum ,Anatomy - Abstract
Objective Current methods to determine chronological age from modern and ancient remains rely on both morphological and molecular approaches. However, low accuracy and the lack of standardized protocols make the development of alternative methods for the estimation of individual's age even more urgent for several research fields, such as biological anthropology, biodemography, forensics, evolutionary genetics, and ancient DNA studies. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify genomic regions whose DNA methylation level correlates with age in modern teeth. Methods We used MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to analyze DNA methylation levels of specific CpGs located in the ELOVL2, FHL2, and PENK genes. We considered methylation data from cementum, dentin and pulp of 21 modern teeth (from 17 to 77 years old) to construct a mathematical model able to exploit DNA methylation values to predict age of the individuals. Results The median difference between the real age and that estimated using DNA methylation values is 1.20 years (SD = 1.9) if DNA is recovered from both cementum and pulp of the same modern teeth, 2.25 years (SD = 2.5) if DNA is recovered from dental pulp, 2.45 years (SD = 3.3) if DNA is extracted from cementum and 7.07 years (SD = 7.0) when DNA is recovered from dentin only. Discussion We propose for the first time the evaluation of DNA methylation at ELOVL2, FHL2, and PENK genes as a powerful tool to predict age in modern teeth for anthropological applications. Future studies are needed to apply this method also to historical and relatively ancient human teeth. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:585–595, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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- 2015
43. The Sicilian wolf: Genetic identity of a recently extinct insular population
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Elena Fabbri, Flavia Annesi, Marco Galaverni, Francesco M. Angelici, Gloria Ravegnini, Marta Maria Ciucani, Davide Palumbo, Elisabetta Cilli, Riccardo Castiglia, Agatino Maurizio Siracusa, Romolo Caniglia, Lorenzo Rossi, Sabrina Angelini, Angelici F.M., Ciucani M.M., Angelini S., Annesi F., Caniglia R., Castiglia R., Fabbri E., Galaverni M., Palumbo D., Ravegnini G., Rossi L., Siracusa A.M., and Cilli E.
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aDNA ,0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,haplotype ,Mitochondrial DNA ,Genotype ,Population ,Extinction, Biological ,DNA, Mitochondrial ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,grey Wolf ,Animals ,Canis lupu ,education ,Sicily ,Phylogeny ,education.field_of_study ,Wolves ,biology ,extinction ,mtDNA ,Haplotype ,biology.organism_classification ,Italian wolf ,language.human_language ,Geography ,030104 developmental biology ,Canis ,Ancient DNA ,Haplotypes ,Evolutionary biology ,language ,Mammal ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Animal Distribution ,Sicilian ,Human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup - Abstract
During historical times many local grey wolf (Canis lupus) populations underwent a substantial reduction of their sizes or became extinct. Among these, the wolf population once living in Sicily, the biggest island of the Mediterranean Sea, was completely eradicated by human persecution in the early decades of the XX century.In order to understand the genetic identity of the Sicilian wolf, we applied ancient DNA techniques to analyse the mitochondrial DNA of six specimens actually stored in Italian museums.We successfully amplified a diagnostic mtDNA fragment of the control region (CR) in four of the samples. Results showed that two samples shared the same haplotype, that differed by two substitutions from the currently most diffused Italian wolf haplotype (W14) and one substitution from the only other Italian haplotype (W16). The third sample showed a wolf-like haplotype never described before and the fourth a haplotype commonly found in dogs.Furthermore, all the wolf haplotypes detected in this study belonged to the mitochondrial haplogroup that includes haplotypes detected in all the known European Pleistocene wolves and in several modern southern European populations.Unfortunately, this endemic island population, bearing unique mtDNA variability, was definitively lost before it was possible to understand its taxonomic uniqueness and conservational value.
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- 2018
- Full Text
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44. Absence of mutations in the human interferon alpha-2b gene in workers chronically exposed to ionising radiation
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Patrizia Hrelia, Bakhytzhan Alzhanuly, Vittorio Lodi, Patrizia Serventi, Ayaz Belkozhaev, Sabrina Angelini, Alexandra K. Khanseitova, Dauren Botbayev, Elisabetta Cilli, N. A. Aitkhozhina, Polat Kazymbet, Giulia Sammarini, Gloria Ravegnini, Meirat Bakhtin, Botbayev, Dauren, Ravegnini, Gloria, Sammarini, Giulia, Kazymbet, Polat, Cilli, Elisabetta, Serventi, Patrizia, Khanseitova, Alexandra, Alzhanuly, Bakhytzhan, Belkozhaev, Ayaz, Aitkhozhina, Nagima, Bakhtin, Meirat, Lodi, Vittorio, Hrelia, Patrizia, and Angelini, Sabrina
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0301 basic medicine ,Adult ,Male ,uranium miners ,Population ,Alpha interferon ,Context (language use) ,Gene mutation ,Toxicology ,medicine.disease_cause ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,symbols.namesake ,0302 clinical medicine ,law ,Occupational Exposure ,Radiation, Ionizing ,Medicine ,Humans ,education ,Gene ,Polymerase chain reaction ,hIFNα-2b ,genotoksičnost ,radiologija ,rudari, uranij ,zdravstveni radnici ,Sanger sequencing ,Mutation ,education.field_of_study ,Environmental Biomarkers ,business.industry ,genotoxicity ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Interferon-alpha ,hIFNα-2b mutations ,radiology workers ,Middle Aged ,Radiation Exposure ,Coal Mining ,Kazakhstan ,Occupational Diseases ,030104 developmental biology ,Italy ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Immunology ,symbols ,hIFNα-2b mutation ,business ,radiology worker - Abstract
Individuals chronically exposed to low-level ionising radiation (IR) run the risk of harmful and long-term adverse health effects, including gene mutations and cancer development. The search for reliable biomarkers of IR exposure in human population is still of great interest, as they may have a great implementation potential for the surveillance of occupationally exposed individuals. In this context, and considering previous literature, this study aimed to identify mutations in the human interferon alpha-2b (hIFNα-2b) as a potential biomarker of occupational chronic low-dose IR exposure linking low-IR exposure to the effects on haematopoiesis and reduced immunity. The analysis was performed in the genomic DNA of 51 uranium miners and 38 controls from Kazakhstan, and in 21 medical radiology workers and 21 controls from Italy. hIFNα-2b gene mutations were analysed with the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or Sanger sequencing. However, none of the investigated workers had the hIFNα-2b mutation. This finding highlights the need for further research to identify biomarkers for early detection of health effects associated with chronic low-dose IR exposure., Kronična izloženost niskim razinama ionizirajućega zračenja povezana je s rizikom od dugoročnih štetnih posljedica za zdravlje, što obuhvaća i mutacije gena te nastanak raka. U tijeku je potraga za pouzdanim biopokazateljima izloženosti ionizirajućem zračenju u ljudi, budući da njihova primjena može značajno unaprijediti praćenje profesionalno izloženih osoba. U tom smislu, a s obzirom na ranija saznanja, cilj je ovoga istraživanja bio utvrditi mutacije gena za proizvodnju humanoga interferona alfa-2b (hIFNα-2b gena) kao mogućega biopokazatelja profesionalne kronične izloženosti niskim dozama ionizirajućega zračenja, koje je usto povezano s djelovanjem na hematopoezu i pad imuniteta. Analiziran je genomski DNA 51 rudara u rudnicima uranija te 38 kontrolnih ispitanika iz Kazahstana, odnosno genomski DNA 21 zdravstvenoga radnika na radiologiji i 21 kontrolnoga ispitanika iz Italije. Mutacije hIFNα-2b gena utvrđivane su metodom lančane reakcije polimerazom u stvarnom vremenu (engl. real-time PCR) odnosno sekvenciranjem prema Sangeru, ali se pokazalo da niti jedan radnik nije imao niti jednu od deset traženih mutacija toga gena. Stoga ne preostaje drugo nego i dalje tražiti pouzdane biopokazatelje za rano otkrivanje štetnih zdravstvenih učinaka povezanih s kroničnom izloženosti niskim dozama ionizirajućega zračenja.
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- 2018
45. Did Caravaggio die of Staphylococcus aureus sepsis?
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Elisabetta Cilli, Giuseppe Cornaglia, Michel Drancourt, Rémi Barbieri, Giorgio Gruppioni, Didier Raoult, Alda Bazaj, Microbes évolution phylogénie et infections (MEPHI), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Drancourt, Michel, Barbieri, Rémi, Cilli, Elisabetta, Gruppioni, Giorgio, Bazaj, Alda, Cornaglia, Giuseppe, and Raoult, Didier
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0301 basic medicine ,Caravaggio ,business.industry ,030231 tropical medicine ,medicine.disease ,medicine.disease_cause ,Bacterial genetics ,Microbiology ,Staphylococcus aureus sepsis ,Sepsis ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,0302 clinical medicine ,Infectious Diseases ,Ancient DNA ,Metagenomics ,Staphylococcus aureus ,[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases ,Medicine ,ancient DNA, paleomicrobiology, infectious diseases, metagenomics ,business ,Staphylococcus aureus sepsis, Caravaggio ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS - Abstract
International audience
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- 2018
46. Iron Age Italic population genetics: the Piceni from Novilara (8thâ7th century BC)
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Patrizia Serventi, Giorgio Gruppioni, Gianmarco Ferri, Antonino Vazzana, Manuel Fondevila Alvarez, Roberta Bodega, Stefania Sarno, Paolo Anagnostou, Sara De Fanti, Elisabetta Cilli, Chiara Panicucci, Francesca Brisighelli, Chiara Delpino, Donata Luiselli, Beniamino Trombetta, Serventi, Patrizia, Panicucci, Chiara, Bodega, Roberta, De Fanti, Sara, Sarno, Stefania, Fondevila Alvarez, Manuel, Brisighelli, Francesca, Trombetta, Beniamino, Anagnostou, Paolo, Ferri, Gianmarco, Vazzana, Antonino, Delpino, Chiara, Gruppioni, Giorgio, Luiselli, Donata, and Cilli, Elisabetta
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Aging ,Physiology ,Epidemiology ,Population ,Settore BIO/08 - ANTROPOLOGIA ,Population genetics ,mitochondrial DNA ,DNA, Mitochondrial ,Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ,Nucleotide diversity ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Genetics ,Kinship ,Humans ,DNA, Ancient ,education ,Genotyping ,education.field_of_study ,Ancient DNA ,autosomal markers ,Italian population genetic ,Mitochondrial DNA ,Piceni ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,environmental and occupational health ,public health ,Genetic Variation ,030104 developmental biology ,Geography ,Archaeology ,Haplotypes ,Italy ,Iron Age ,Evolutionary biology ,Female ,Gene pool ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Background: Archaeological data provide evidence that Italy, during the Iron Age, witnessed the appearance of the first communities with well defined cultural identities. To date, only a few studies report genetic data about these populations and, in particular, the Piceni have never been analysed. Aims: To provide new data about mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability of an Iron Age Italic population, to understand the contribution of the Piceni in shaping the modern Italian gene pool and to ascertain the kinship between some individuals buried in the same grave within the Novilara necropolis. Subjects and methods: In a first set of 10 individuals from Novilara, we performed deep sequencing of the HVS-I region of the mtDNA, combined with the genotyping of 22 SNPs in the coding region and the analysis of several autosomal markers. Results: The results show a low nucleotide diversity for the inhabitants of Novilara and highlight a genetic affinity of this ancient population with the current inhabitants of central Italy. No family relationship was observed between the individuals analysed here. Conclusions: This study provides a preliminary characterisation of the mtDNA variability of the Piceni of Novilara, as well as a kinship assessment of two peculiar burials.
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- 2018
47. Poisoning histories in the Italian renaissance: The case of Pico Della Mirandola and Angelo Poliziano
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Giorgio Gruppioni, Lucio Calcagnile, Massimo Andretta, Stefano Benazzi, Patrizia Serventi, Alberto Marino, Fulvio Bartoli, Agustín Pastor, Gianni Gallello, Miguel de la Guardia, Elisabetta Cilli, Gallello, Gianni, Cilli, Elisabetta, Bartoli, Fulvio, Andretta, Massimo, Calcagnile, Lucio, Pastor, Agustin, de la Guardia, Miguel, Serventi, Patrizia, Marino, Alberto, Benazzi, Stefano, and Gruppioni, Giorgio
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Radiocarbon dating ,Chronic exposure ,Macroscopic examination ,Male ,History ,Italian Renaissance ,Ancient history ,Bone and Bones ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Arsenic ,03 medical and health sciences ,Forensic Toxicology ,0302 clinical medicine ,Arsenic Poisoning ,Angelo Poliziano ,Humans ,0601 history and archaeology ,030216 legal & forensic medicine ,Carbon Radioisotopes ,DNA, Ancient ,History, 15th Century ,Microscopy ,Ancient DNA ,060102 archaeology ,Spectrum Analysis ,Heavy metals ,06 humanities and the arts ,General Medicine ,Environmental Exposure ,Mummies ,Pico della Mirandola ,Italy ,Girolamo benivieni ,Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ,Law - Abstract
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and Angelo Poliziano were two of the most important humanists of the Italian Renaissance. They died suddenly in 1494 and their deaths have been for centuries a subject of debate. The exhumation of their remains offered the opportunity to study the cause of their death through a multidisciplinary research project. Anthropological analyses, together with documentary evidences, radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA analysis supported the identification of the remains attributed to Pico. Macroscopic examination did not reveal paleopathological lesions or signs related to syphilis. Heavy metals analysis, carried out on bones and mummified tissues, showed that in Pico's remains there were potentially lethal levels of arsenic, supporting the philosopher's poisoning theory reported by documentary sources. The arsenic concentrations obtained from analysis of Poliziano's remains, are probably more related to an As chronic exposure or diagenetic processes rather than poisoning.
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- 2017
48. Intraspecies polymorphisms of Kluyveromyces marxianus strains from Yaghnob valley
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Paola Mattarelli, Giorgia Perpetuini, Rosanna Tofalo, Elisabetta Cilli, Monica Marianna Modesto, Giovanna Suzzi, Fabrizia Tittarelli, Perpetuini, Giorgia, Tittarelli, Fabrizia, Mattarelli, Paola, Modesto, Monica, Cilli, Elisabetta, Suzzi, Giovanna, and Tofalo, Rosanna
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0301 basic medicine ,Cultured Milk Products ,Karyotype ,Cellobiose ,Xylose ,Microbiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Kluyveromyces ,Kluyveromyces marxianus ,Biolog ,Genetics ,Animals ,Humans ,Metabolomics ,Food science ,Lactose ,Molecular Biology ,Phylogeny ,Polymorphism, Genetic ,biology ,Cell Membrane ,Biofilm ,PFGE ,Kluvyeromyces marxianus, fermented milk, Yaghnob, PFGE ,biology.organism_classification ,fermented goat milk ,030104 developmental biology ,MAT ,chemistry ,Food Microbiology ,Fermentation ,Kluyveromyces marxianus, Biolog, fermented goat milk, PFGE, adhesion properties, MAT ,Malic acid ,Chromosomes, Fungal ,Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ,adhesion properties - Abstract
In this study, 29 strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus with peculiar genetic and phenotypic traits previously isolated from a fermented goat milk of Yaghnob valley were investigated for chromosome length polymorphism (CLP) by PFGE, adhesion properties and carbon usage by Biolog analysis. Obtained data showed that strains differed in terms of number and size of chromosome bands. The number of bands ranged from 5 to 7, suggesting a probable genome size from 1.4 to 2.6 Mb. Strains showed a certain level of cell surface hydrophobicity ranging from 32% to 77.7%. Strains were also tested for their ability to form a biofilm on polystyrene plates: planktonic cells ranged from 6.3 cfu/mL to 7.95 cfu/mL, while sessile from 7.11 cfu/mL to 8.6 cfu/mL. The strains able to adhere to polystyrene plates were also able to form a mature MAT. Biolog analysis revealed that almost all strains were able to use putrescine, malic acid, α-D lactose, phenylethylamine, β-methyl D-gucoside and xylose; 5 strains were able to grow on cellobiose and 3 were able to catabolise α-ketobutyric. The obtained data highlighted a number of interesting features underlying the peculiar capacities of these strains for industrial applications.
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- 2017
49. Unlocking the evolutionary history of the mighty bluefin tuna using novel paleogenetic techniques and ancient tuna remains
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Gregory Neils Puncher, Alessia Cariani, Elisabetta Cilli, Francesco Massari, Pier Luigi Martelli, Arturo Morales, Vedat Onar, Nezir Yaşar Toker, Tom Moens, Fausto Tinti, and Gregory Neils Puncher, Alessia Cariani, Elisabetta Cilli, Francesco Massari, Pier Luigi Martelli, Arturo Morales, Vedat Onar, Nezir Yaşar Toker, Tom Moens, Fausto Tinti
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Bluefin tuna, DNA, Genetics, Evolution, Coastal Fisheries, Bones, Mediterranean Sea, Population dynamics, Population structure, Long-term changes - Abstract
Using novel molecular techniques, DNA was extracted from Atlantic bluefin tuna vertebrae excavated from late Iron Age and ancient Roman settlements in coastal Iberia (Portugal and Spain, 4th-2nd century BC; n=23) and Byzantine-era Constantinople (4th-15th century AD; n=6), as well as vertebrae from the Massimo Sella archive located at the University of Bologna (Ionian, Thyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas, early 20th century; n=150). Comparisons have been made between the amount of DNA contained in each sample (measured via quantitative polymerase chain reactions), their age and the enviromental conditions which the bones have been exposed to. A high performance genotyping panel containing SNPs derived from two separate projects funded by the GBYP scientific programme has been designed for the purpose of genotyping all historical samples along with modern samples collected in the same geographic areas. Included in the panel are 76 SNPs with high similarity to a wide variety of genes associated with musculoskeletal system, development, metabolism, cellular function, osmoregulation and immune response. An additional 20 SNPs that provide significant discrimination between modern populations have been included in the panel.
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- 2016
50. Ancient and recent admixture layers in Sicily and Southern Italy trace multiple migration routes along the Mediterranean
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Alessio Boattini, Luca Pagani, Stefania Sarno, Luca Sineo, Guido Alberto Gnecchi Ruscone, Donata Luiselli, Marco Sazzini, Rosalba Petrilli, Ilia Mikerezi, Miguel G. Vilar, Chiara Barbieri, Eugenio Bortolini, Davide Pettener, Graziella Ciani, Elisabetta Cilli, Etienne Guichard, Spencer Wells, Sara De Fanti, Andrea Quagliariello, Sarno, S, Boattini, A, Pagani, L, Sazzini, M, De Fanti, S, Quagliariello, A, Gnecchi Ruscone, GA, Guichard, E, Ciani, G, Bortolini, E, Barbieri, C, Cilli, E, Petrilli, R, Mikerezi, I, Sineo, L, Vilar, M, Wells, S, Luiselli, D, Pettener, D, Sarno, Stefania, Boattini, Alessio, Pagani, Luca, Sazzini, Marco, De Fanti, Sara, Quagliariello, Andrea, Gnecchi Ruscone, Guido Alberto, Guichard, Etienne, Ciani, Graziella, Bortolini, Eugenio, Barbieri, Chiara, Cilli, Elisabetta, Petrilli, Rosalba, Mikerezi, Ilia, Sineo, Luca, Vilar, Miguel, Wells, Spencer, Luiselli, Donata, and Pettener, Davide
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0301 basic medicine ,Mediterranean climate ,Multidisciplinary ,Cultural history ,Southern Italy, Sicily, genomic ancestry, admxiture, Mediterranean populations ,Science ,Biological anthropology ,Settore BIO/08 - Antropologia ,Archaeology ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,Geography ,DNA, Sicily, Southern Italy, Migration routes, Genotyping ,Medicine ,Population diversity ,Genetic variation - Abstract
The Mediterranean shores stretching between Sicily, Southern Italy and the Southern Balkans witnessed a long series of migration processes and cultural exchanges. Accordingly, present-day population diversity is composed by multiple genetic layers, which make the deciphering of different ancestral and historical contributes particularly challenging. We address this issue by genotyping 511 samples from 23 populations of Sicily, Southern Italy, Greece and Albania with the Illumina GenoChip Array, also including new samples from Albanian-and Greek-speaking ethno-linguistic minorities of Southern Italy. Our results reveal a shared Mediterranean genetic continuity, extending from Sicily to Cyprus, where Southern Italian populations appear genetically closer to Greek-speaking islands than to continental Greece. Besides a predominant Neolithic background, we identify traces of Post-Neolithic Levantine-and Caucasus-related ancestries, compatible with maritime Bronze-Age migrations. We argue that these results may have important implications in the cultural history of Europe, such as in the diffusion of some Indo-European languages. Instead, recent historical expansions from North-Eastern Europe account for the observed differentiation of present-day continental Southern Balkan groups. Patterns of IBD-sharing directly reconnect Albanian-speaking Arbereshe with a recent Balkan-source origin, while Greek-speaking communities of Southern Italy cluster with their Italian-speaking neighbours suggesting a long-term history of presence in Southern Italy., This study was supported by the Genographic Project 2.0 (Geno 2.0) Scientific Research Grant 4–13 and by the European Research Council ERC-2011-AdG 295733 grant (Langelin).
- Published
- 2017
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