Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts

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(c) Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand,

Volume 30, Number 4, December 2000, pp 365-371

Isolation and characterisation of DNA from whale bone

Scott J. Tebbutt¹*, Ramari E. Stewart² and Diana F. Hill¹

R99027. Received 2 December 1999; accepted 18 April 2000

¹Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
²P.O. Box 15, Whataroa, South Westland, New Zealand
*Author for correspondence (scott.tebbutt@stonebow.otago.ac.nz)

DNA was extracted from a sperm whale rib bone, and an ear bone from an unidentified large baleen whale. Prior to extraction the two bones had been subjected to various environmental conditions resulting in limited decomposition of the bone material. Specific mitochondrial DNA sequences were amplified from the extracts using the technique of polymerase chain reaction. Subsequent sequencing of these products confirmed that the rib bone was indeed from a sperm whale, and that the ear bone was from a blue whale. The results show that genetic information can be obtained from whale bones that have been exposed to the elements.

Keywords  cetacean; DNA; mitochondria; bone

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1968K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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