Skull and long bones – Forensic DNA techniques for historic shipwreck human remains

ABSTRACT

Human remains have been recovered from a number of historic shipwrecks and their associated sites, often hundreds of years post-mortem. While remains of victims who have fled following wrecking can be subject to a range of environmental exposures, human remains in marine environments are subject to unique decomposition processes, faunal predation and impacts on DNA. Researchers in museums and academic institutions holding historic shipwreck remains have applied a plethora of scientific testing methods to extract information from artefacts and shipwreck remains. Specialist forensic DNA techniques, often adapted from ancient and archaeological DNA methods, are designed to maximize DNA recovery, and advances in technology and forensic biology have increased options for genotyping compromised human skeletal samples. A vast array of new genetic markers can now be targeted for interrogation to reveal externally visible characteristics, biogeographical ancestry or extended genetic relatives of victims. Some of these techniques have already been applied to historic shipwreck remains. This paper reviews current and emerging forensic DNA techniques available for recovering and revealing genetic information from historic shipwreck remains. It aims to direct investigators conducting genetic testing on historic shipwreck human remains to forensic DNA techniques as a possible approach for yielding further invaluable information.

KEYWORDS:

• Skeletal remains
• unidentified human remains
• compromised samples
• emerging DNA technologies
• maritime archaeology
• historical remains

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).