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Next-generation sequencing technologies have opened new opportunities in forensic genetics. Here, we assess the applicability and performance of the MiSeq FGx™ & ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep Kit (Illumina) for the identification of individuals from the mass graves of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The main limitations for individual identification are the low number of possible first-degree living relatives and the high levels of DNA degradation reported in previous studies. Massively parallel sequencing technologies enabling the analysis of hundreds of regions and prioritizing short length amplicons constitute a promising tool for this kind of approaches. In this study, we first explore the power of this new technology to detect first- and second-degree kinship given different scenarios of DNA degradation. Second, we specifically assess its performance in a set of low DNA input samples previously analyzed with CE technologies. We conclude that this methodology will allow identification of up to second-degree relatives, even in situations with low sequencing performance and important levels of allele drop-out; it is thus a technology that resolves previous drawbacks and that will allow a successful approximation to the identification of remains., This study was commissioned by the Departament de Governació i Relacions Institucionals (Generalitat de Catalunya).

Objectives: Mummified nervous tissue is very rarely found in ancient remains and usually corresponds to corpses which were frozen or preserved in bogs, conditions which limit tissue autolysis and bacterial degradation. Here, we show the unusual finding of spontaneously mummified brain tissue from several individuals from the little known megalithic talaiotic culture of the island of Minorca, dating approximately 3,000 years before present and corresponding to the late Mediterranean Bronze Age. Methods: These individuals were part of an intact burial site containing 66 subjects. Intracraneal samples were carefully rehydrated with Sandison’s solution. We used classical histochemical as well as 2D and 3D (scanning) electron-microscopic techniques. Results: We provide evidence of the nervous nature of the samples as well as a detailed description of the morphological features of these ancient tissues. The intracranial material consisted of well-preserved eosinophilic reticular tissue and, although mostly absent, some exceptional pigment-containing neurons were identified. Conclusions: We present a detailed morphological analysis which can provide valuable information and guidelines for the interpretation of this scarce type of mummified samples and provide explanations for this surprising preservation.

Objective To analyze the bone lesions of the ear region from a late Bronze Age individual to establish the most probable diagnosis. Background There has been evidence of diseases of the ear region since way back in history, but few human remains have been recognized. The case presented here corresponds to an ear lesion from a prehistoric skeleton found in the archeological site of La Cova des Pas (900-800 cal yr BC), located on Minorca island, in the western Mediterranean. Methods Macroscopic and radiologic (iCT) analysis had been performed. Results The remains belong to an elderly female subject who had a large cavity on the tympanic cavity as a result of the complete erosion of the outer wall of the attic and a large increase in the diameter of the outer ear canal. The cavity extends posterior to the mastoid. Conclusion The diagnosis suggests a probable cholesteatoma, being one of the oldest cases in Europe.