Minimum Number Of Individuals Research Articles

A peculiar bonebed reinforces gregarious behaviour for the Triassic dicynodont Dinodontosaurus

ABSTRACT The discovery and study of bonebeds can provide unique information on the biology of extinct animals. Here we interpret the taphonomic history of a monotypic bonebed composed by several individuals attributable to the dicynodont Dinodontosaurus sp. collected in a classic locality from the Dinodontosaurus Assemblage Zone (Middle Triassic of Brazil). Following the estimation of the minimal number of individuals, we analyzed several biostratinomic processes, such as transport and fragmentation. The assemblage is composed of at least six individuals, all of which are juveniles (although of different sizes), packed in close association and displaying different articulation levels, which indicates a moderate time of subaerial exposure before burial. The dispersion is comprised of bone elements of different Voorhies Groups, indicating the absence of hydraulic selection by transport and a short distance from the death site. The hypothesis of trampling is not discarded, as some bones show pre-burial cracks and fractures. The association of juveniles suggests that factors like insufficient nutrition, abandonment, and diseases could be the cause of death. The monotypic nature of the assemblage, when analyzed together with its possible taphonomic history, allows us to infer gregarious behaviour in Dinodontosaurus.

New Insights into the LGM and LG in Southern France (Vaucluse): The Mustelids, Micromammals and Horses from Coulet des Roches

Coulet des Roches is a natural karst trap in Southern France. Its infilling dates back to the end of the Pleniglacial (Last Glacial Maximum, LGM) and the end of the Tardiglacial (Last Glacial, LG). Three mustelid species have been identified in this infilling: the common polecat (Mustela putorius, minimum number of individuals (MNI) = 4), the stoat (Mustela erminea, MNI = 14) and the weasel (Mustela nivalis, MNI = 48). The common polecat remains are metrically and morphologically indistinguishable from recent European specimens. The smallest mustelids are mainly represented by average-sized specimens, which are slightly smaller than extant species. A partial weasel skeleton of an extremely small pygmy weasel, regarded as a typical glacial element, was also discovered. Sexual dimorphism is strongly pronounced. Seventeen horses have been identified, corresponding to the chrono subspecies Equus ferus gallicus. The analysis of the muzzles and metapodials shows overall adaptation to cool and dry weather conditions. The ibexes are typical of Capra ibex (MNI = 15). The p3 morphology is similar to the LGM populations located on the southern side of the Durance River, with an important dilation of the metaconid, except for the oldest LGM specimen. This dilation is older on the southern side of the Durance River, as it occurs at the end of MIS 3. This difference could reflect the barrier role of the Durance River. Micromammals are abundant (mostly related to rodents and shrews; 18 genera/species; MNI = 470). The paleoecological study highlighted important and rapid climatic and environmental fluctuations throughout the sequence. As a result of climatic fluctuations, the plains constituted a corridor for the migration of temperate species to Provence during cold periods (“southern refuge zone”) and their re-immigration to Western Europe during temperate episodes. In a related and complementary way, the highland areas not only played a natural role as a geographical barrier, but also constituted a refuge zone during interglacial episodes for some micromammal species originating from northern and eastern parts of Europe (“cryptic southern refugia”).

Preliminary results of an investigation on postmortem variations in human skeletal mass of buried bones

Extreme fragmentation can complicate the inventory of human skeletal remains. In such cases, skeletal mass can provide information regarding skeleton completeness and the minimum number of individuals. For that purpose, several references for skeletal mass can be used to establish comparisons and draw inferences regarding those parameters. However, little is known about the feasibility of establishing comparisons between inherently different materials, as is the case of curated reference skeletal collections and human remains recovered from forensic and archaeological settings. The objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of inhumation, weather and heat exposure on the skeletal mass of two different bone types. This was investigated on a sample of 30 human bone fragments (14 trabecular bones and 16 compact bones) that was experimentally buried for two years after being submitted to one of four different heat treatments (left unburned; 500 °C; 900 °C; 1000 °C). Bones were exhumed periodically to assess time-related mass variation. Skeletal mass varied substantially, decreasing and increasing in accordance to the interchanging dry and wet seasons. However, trends were not the same for the two bone types and the four temperature thresholds. The reason for this appears to be related to water absorption and to the differential heat-induced changes in bone microporosity, volume, and composition. Our results suggest that mass comparisons against published references should be performed only after the skeletal remains have been preemptively dried from exogenous water.

Palaeodietary reconstruction as an alternative approach to poorly preserved early medieval human bone assemblages: the case of Boadilla (Toledo, Spain)

This article presents the results of research on the human population buried at the early medieval cemetery of Boadilla (Toledo, Spain). This was the burial ground of a rural community that was established at the nearby village of Alameda del Senorio. Both sites were occupied between the end of the fifth and the beginning of the eighth century. The cemetery was characterized by the ordered arrangement of its graves, the frequent re-use of graves and the deposition of grave goods in some burials. The human osteological assemblage was poorly preserved. The minimum number of individuals was estimated to comprise 226 individuals recovered in 181 burials. The population had a demographic profile typical of premodern agricultural societies. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were successfully carried out on 73 human and 20 faunal samples. The results indicate that the faunal diet was exclusively based on C3 resources and point to different management strategies for each taxon. The human diet was mainly based on C3 plants, but most individuals also consumed small but regular amounts of C4 resources. Protein intake was very variable and related to age, with subadults between 3 and 7 years old having the lowest intake. No relationship was found between the diet of the deceased and the deposition of grave goods in their graves. Finally, there was less variation between the individuals buried in the same grave than within the whole population, an aspect that may suggest the presence of family burials.

Ecological data for an orchid diversity hotspot show that the subtribe Laeliinae may be endangered in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest harbours a mega diversity of seed plants. The Parque Nacional do Itatiaia is a large and mature Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil. It includes around 10% of the Brazilian orchids and is considered a priority area for conservation. Thirty‐three species of the neotropical and very ornamental subtribe Laeliinae (Orchidaceae) have been recorded in this park, but according to our studies 13 species may be extinct locally. Here, we present ecological information, including population size, vertical distribution and orchid‐phorophyte for each species. In addition, we discuss the main factors threatening the species and the fact that official conservation policies following IUCN Red List categories and criteria at regional levels may be inappropriate for geopolitical regions, especially for overly restricted geographical areas. For this reason, some questions need to be addressed: 1) when should a decision maker be formally advised of the possibility of a species being threatened in a state, municipality or a conservation unit? 2) Below what minimum number of individuals in a population should conservation efforts (financial, logistical, etc.) be applied? These issues are particularily worrying when dealing with epiphytic orchids. For developing countries, these concerns are especially important since resources available to support biodiversity conservation actions are usually very limited. In addition, the lack of permanent control of legally protected areas, and difficulties to combat natural disturbances and predatory human activities also contribute to worsen the problems intrinsic to the conservation of these areas.

Fingerprinting snakes: paleontological and paleoecological implications of zygantral growth rings in Serpentes.

We introduce a new non-destructive source of skeletochronological data with applications to species identification, associating disarticulated remains, assessing minimum number of individuals (MNI), and collection management of fossil snakes, but with potential implications for all bony vertebrates, extinct or extant. Study of a diverse sample of Recent henophidian snakes confirms that annual growth cycles (AGCs) visible on the surface of the vertebral zygantrum correspond to lines of arrested growth in osteohistological thin sections and accordingly reflect chronological age. None of the specimens considered here showed signs of remodelling of the zygantrum, suggesting that a complete, unaltered age record is preserved. We tested potential influences on AGCs with a single experimental organism, a male Bogertophis subocularis, that was raised at a controlled temperature and with constant access to mice and water. The conditions in which this individual was maintained, including that it had yet to live through a full reproductive cycle, enabled us to determine that its AGCs reflect only the annual solar cycle, and neither temperature, nor resource availability, nor energy diversion to gametogenesis could explain that it still exhibited lines of arrested growth. Moreover, growth lines in this specimen are deposited toward the end of the growth season in the fall, and not in the winter, during which this individual continued to feed and grow, even though this mid-latitude species would normally be hibernating and not growing. This suggests that growth lines are not caused by hibernation, but reflect the onset of a physiological cycle preparing Bogertophis subocularis for winter rest. That being said, hibernation and reproductive cycle could still influence the amount of time represented by an individual growth line. Growth-line number and AGC spacing-pattern, plus centrum length, are used to estimate MNI of the Early Eocene fossil snake Boavus occidentalis collected from the Willwood Formation over two field seasons during the late 19th century. We identified eight or nine individuals among specimens previously parcelled among two specimen lots collected during those expeditions.

The dominance of an extant gregarious taxon in an attritional accumulation: Taphonomy and palaeoecological implications

A recurrent aspect of the fossil record is the observation of a disproportionate number of specimens or individuals of a single taxon in some deposits, which is stated as dominance. Commonly, the dominance is explained as the result of catastrophic or short-term mass death events or are proxies for palaeoecological inferences regarding gregariousness. However, taphonomic, stratigraphic and chronologic analyses of fossiliferous deposits have shown that this is not always true. To contribute to the study of dominance in fossil assemblages, we describe a probable Quaternary skeletal accumulation dominated by the extant gregarious rock-dwelling rodent Kerodon rupestris recovered from Sumidouro do Sansão, a 65 m deep pitfall cave in northeast Brazil, and discuss the palaeoecological implications of our findings. We provide taxonomic identification, taphonomic analyses, and chronological assessment. Besides K. rupestris (minimum number of individuals, MNI = 35), we recorded three taxonomic groups, that are the ground sloth Catonyx cuvieri (MNI = 1), the anteater Tamandua tetradactyla (MNI = 1), and the cougar Puma concolor (MNI = 1). The taphonomic analysis of the K. rupestris remains supports the idea that entrapment of individuals was the main process of bone accumulation and that the death of cave inhabitants followed by short transport to the main hall possibly occurred. Kerodon rupestris remains persisted on the surface of the cave deposit for different time spans and were exposed to fragmentation, weathering, invertebrate boring and encrustation inside the cave environment. Direct dating suggests differences in the ages obtained and intermittent deposition of the individuals inside the cave. It highlights the influence of taphonomic controls on gregarious taxa, such as K. rupestris, towards dominating attritional time-averaged assemblages. Furthermore, it demonstrates that such assemblages do not necessarily support inferences about single event mortality and gregariousness of the dominant taxon.

A Critical Review of Four Efforts to Resurrect MNI in Zooarchaeology

Evaluation of zooarchaeology’s quantitative units known as NISP (number of identified specimens) and MNI (minimum number of individuals) during the last three decades of the twentieth century suggested neither provided ratio scale measures of taxonomic abundances. Many researchers at that time began to use NISP as often as MNI to measure taxonomic abundances. In part because of a desire to determine the composition of human diet more precisely, and in light of the fact that different taxa have different numbers of identifiable bones, four zooarchaeologists have, since 1990, used assemblages with known ANI (actual number of individuals) to evaluate whether NISP or MNI provides the most accurate measure of ANI. ANI data from ethnoarchaeological and historical contexts suggest taxonomic abundance data quantified as NISP or MNI are ordinal scale at best, something previously shown to be highly probable. Experimental data used to evaluate the accuracy of NISP and MNI as measures of ANI are either inappropriate or not designed to assess which quantitative unit produces the most accurate measure. A new quantitative unit proposed as an alternative to MNE (minimum number of [skeletal] elements)—the NDE (number of distinct elements)—is said to provide proportional abundances of taxa but demonstrably undercounts skeletal parts and fails to provide ratio scale abundance data.

ANALISIS TULANG FAUNA VERTEBRATA DARI DI SITUS GUA KIDANG, BLORA, JAWA TENGAH

<p>The research discusses the utilization of vertebrate fauna at the Kidang Cave site to identify the types and variations of vertebrate animals as subsistence and their respective habitats. The analysis was also instrumental in defining the natural landscape of Kidang Cave during the prehistoric era. Faunal fragments were previously analysed and identified taxonomically and anatomically. The analysis started with re-sortation of faunal bone fragments, classifying and further analyzing the data to obtain the number of identified specimens for each taxon (NISP) and the minimum number of individuals (MNI). From 8,265 bone fragments, only 1,378 were anatomically and taxonomically identifiable. The MNI calculation revealed a number of 23 taxa that were identified down to their familial levels and only two to class levels. The result of this research identified various fauna from different habitats were part of the human diet. Based on this analysis, the natural environment surrounding Kidang Cave during the prehistoric era was then predicted.</p>

Observations on the history of zooarchaeological quantitative units: Why NISP, then MNI, then NISP again?

Suggestions regarding the history of use of zooarchaeological quantitative units known as the number of identified specimens (NISP) and minimum number of individuals (MNI) have previously had little empirical substantiation. Analysis of the North American zooarchaeological literature that appeared between 1900 and 1999 indicates there was (i) an increase in the use of MNI relative to NISP between 1900 and the 1970s, (ii) a subsequent decrease in the use of MNI and increase in the use of NISP, and (iii) an increase in the use of both NISP and MNI in the same publication after the 1970s. Inspection of a sample of articles indicates the last is the result of a shift to research questions requiring use of both units and also unresolved weaknesses in both NISP and MNI as measures of taxonomic abundances. The former reflects increased inquiry into taphonomic histories, the latter reflects the volume of programmatic literature evaluating strengths and weaknesses of NISP and MNI that peaked between about 1975 and 1995, and subsequently decreased with no clear consensus. Zooarchaeology textbooks of the last two decades present mixed signals regarding which quantitative unit to use.

A case of cynophagy at Radovanu – Gorgana a doua settlement, Călăraşi County (2nd–1st centuries BC)

Studiul arheozoologic al faunei de la Radovanu care provine din campania de cercetări arheologice din anul 2016 a evidențiat existența unor oase de câine cu urme antropice de dezarticulare, descărnare și ardere descoperite în trei gropi (Gr. 1, Gr. 7 și Gr. 8). Dintre cele 68 resturi de câine determinate specific, 20 prezintă astfel de urme antropice. Numărul minim de indivizi cărora le‐ au aparținut aceste resturi (68) este de cel puțin patru, toți adulți, iar dintre aceștia doi au fost consumați (20 de resturi prezintă stigmate antropice). Talia acestor animale are o valoare de 56,5 cm după Koudelka (N = 6, limite 52,9– 58 cm) sau de 57,4 cm după Harcourt (N = 6 ; limite 55,7– 58,9 cm). De asemenea, estimarea indicelui de gracilitate care are o valoare medie de 7,09 (N = 5 ; limite 6,68– 7,85) ne permite să concluzionăm că la Radovanu existau câini de talie medie (între 50 și 60 cm) și cu o robustețe medie (indice diafizar între 6,6– 8,9). Cazul cynofagiei de la Radovanu este unic în acest moment în peisajul arheozoologic românesc. Totuşi, observaţii formulate în urmă cu mai bine de 20 de ani ar fi putut sugera că acest fenomen exista în lumea geto‐ dacică numai dacă ne gândim la fragmentaritatea şi urmele de ardere observate în cazul oaselor de câine. În prezent, urmele de tăiere ale câinilor de la Radovanu sunt de necontestat, fapt care ne arată că specia era consumată.

ОСЕЛИЩНА КОНЦЕПЦІЯ У ВИРІШЕННІ ПРОБЛЕМИ ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ BISON BONASUS В ЄВРОПІ ТА УКРАЇНІ

The principles of the habitat concept of biodiversity protection and features of the organization of the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) are outlined. EUNIS covers a wide range of habitats from natural to artificial, from terrestrial to freshwater and marine. It forms a single classification scheme for the entire European space. The factors that influence on bison (Bison bonasus) existence are determined. According to the classification of the WWF, an overview of such ecoregions as Central European mixed forests, East European forest steppe, Pontic steppe, Carpathian montane forests, Crimean Submediterranean forest complex, Pannonian mixed forests. It was investigated that according to the conditions of the Bison bonasus existence among the listed ecoregions, the most favored on the territory of Ukraine are Central Europeanmixedforests. Habitats of Bison bonasus in Europe, which are included in the ecological network Natura 2000, namely Bieszczady, Puszcza Białowieska, Bukovské vrchy, Laborecká vrchovina, Mirosławiec, Jezioro Lubie i Dolina Drawy, Beskyd, Jezioro Wielki Bytyń, Wolin i Uznam, Ostoja Knyszyńska, Ostoja Borecka, Bukovské vrchy, Puszcza nad Gwdą, Jelonka, are established. Of these, 4 are fully and 3 partially located within the ecoregion Central European mixed forests (in full – Puszcza Białowieska, Ostoja Knyszyńska, Ostoja Borecka, Jelonka; partly - Mirosławiec, Jezioro Lubiei Dolina Drawy, Puszcza nad Gwda).It is substantiated that the conservation of bison as a species depends on the possibility of creating large herds existing in the natural environment, which are characterized by maximum genetic diversity. The minimum number of individuals in the bison stage for residence is set. Geosystems which are actual and potential habitats of Bison bonasus within the Ukrainian part of the Central European mixed forestsecoregion and can be added to the European system of protection of Bison bonasus are identified. A map of potential bison habitats within the Ukrainian part of the Central European mixed forests ecoregion is presented.

Paleodemographics of Child Sacrifice at Midnight Terror Cave: Reformulating the Emphasis of Maya Sacrificial Practices

Investigations of Midnight Terror Cave, Belize between 2008-2010 recovered a human osteological assemblage of over 10,000 bones, the largest reported for a cave in the southern Maya lowlands. Analysis indicates that approximately a quarter of the bones belong to subadults, which make up 43% of the minimum number of individuals (MNI). Determination of age at death produced a mortality curve that differs significantly from a normal curve with the numbers peaking between 5 - 10 years of age, when mortality is generally low. These figures are similar to those produced from the Cenote of Sacrifice at Chichen Itza. The large percentage of subadults suggests that children were much more important in Maya human sacrificial practices than generally recognized.

Strategies for Sampling Difficult Archaeological Contexts and Improving the Quality of Radiocarbon Data: The Case of Erimi Laonin Tou Porakou, Cyprus

AbstractAfter decades of collaborative experience between archaeologists and radiocarbon scientists, with the aim at producing radiocarbon dates capable of answering the most various research questions, it is now widely recognized that an accurate sampling strategy is the cornerstone of a solid 14C-based chronology. In this paper, we discuss the sampling criteria required to obtain good quality 14C data within a challenging archaeological context like the Bronze Age site of Erimi Laonin tou Porakou (Limassol, Cyprus). Following a dedicated sampling strategy, in the productive complex of the settlement, charcoal samples were collected from secure contexts according to stratigraphic examination of excavated strata and analysis of associated features and material culture. Micromorphology was also applied for a more accurate interpretation of individual deposits and reconstruction of depositional and post-depositional processes. In the necropolis, bone samples were selected among the fragmentary and commingled human remains through evaluation of the preservation state and the minimum number of individuals (MNI). A discrepancy between the charcoal and the bone 14C determinations was encountered, probably due to old wood issues. The 14C dates were analyzed using a Bayesian model that incorporates the archaeological information, and a preliminary 14C-based chronology was defined for this site.

Los Batanes: A trap for the Pyrenean wild goat during the Late Pleistocene (Spain)

Los Batanes cave (1025 m.a.s.l.) is a karstic system formed by pressure ducts, near the locality of Biescas in the Upper Gallego Valley (Huesca, Spain). Many fossil remains were retrieved from the cave sediments. The minimum sediment calendar age was determined to be 12.770 ± 60 BP. This date indicates that the deposit was formed before the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene transition at the Pyrenees. Here we analyze the faunal assemblage of the site that is only conformed by remains of Pyrenean wild goat (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), which is a recently extinct subspecies of Iberian wild goat (C. pyrenaica). In the site, 1079 remains of Iberian wild goat have been recovered being one of the most numerous both in minimum number of individuals (MNI) and number of identified specimens (NISP) recovered until now in a natural trap in the Spanish Pyrenees. The population of Los Batanes shows a wide range of ages between juvenile and senile individuals and the MNI estimated from the number of right metatarsus is nine.The taphonomic features indicate that the cave acted as a trap for the goats which inhabited the vicinity of the cave. These goats probably stumbled and fell to the bottom of the pit and they could not get out, dying inside. Due to the origin of the accumulation numerous complete bones have been recovered. These fossil allow us to perform a biometric analysis that indicates that population of Los Batanes is in the range size of other goats from Late Pleistocene of Iberian Peninsula.

A from-benchtop-to-desktop workflow for validating HTS data and for taxonomic identification in diet metabarcoding studies.

The main objective of this work was to develop and validate a robust and reliable "from-benchtop-to-desktop" metabarcoding workflow to investigate the diet of invertebrate-eaters. We applied our workflow to faecal DNA samples of an invertebrate-eating fish species. A fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene was amplified by combining two minibarcoding primer sets to maximize the taxonomic coverage. Amplicons were sequenced by an Illumina MiSeq platform. We developed a filtering approach based on a series of nonarbitrary thresholds established from control samples and from molecular replicates to address the elimination of cross-contamination, PCR/sequencing errors and mistagging artefacts. This resulted in a conservative and informative metabarcoding data set. We developed a taxonomic assignment procedure that combines different approaches and that allowed the identification of ~75% of invertebrate COI variants to the species level. Moreover, based on the diversity of the variants, we introduced a semiquantitative statistic in our diet study, the minimum number of individuals, which is based on the number of distinct variants in each sample. The metabarcoding approach described in this article may guide future diet studies that aim to produce robust data sets associated with a fine and accurate identification of prey items.

Non-scientific Archaeological Recovery of Human Remains from an Ancient Well in India


 
 Forensic archaeology is a scientific discipline that can expose past crime(s) against humanity by recovering the bodies of victims and meticulously documenting any proof of torture, trauma or human rights violations. Archaeological recovery of human remains deposited in pre-existing structures or features such as wells, potholes, natural ravines, roadside trenches, sewage systems etc., have been reported from many sites worldwide. In April, 2014, thousands of human bones, teeth as well as a number of personal effects including coins, medals and beaded armbands were unscientifically excavated from a well—presumably dating from the nineteenth century—located under a religious structure in the heart a North Indian town. Without the assistance of scientific expertise or local administration, locals excavated the remains to verify whether the well containing human bones was a result of an event which had been documented in the written records. The unscientific excavation by locals with no formal qualifications in archaeology or anthropology, resulted in the enhanced damage and commingling of human remains limiting information on the minimum number of individuals, age-at-death, sex, pathological conditions, trauma, etc. which may have assisted in identification and a stronger corroboration with the historical records. This paper aims to emphasize that if scientific protocols had been followed—including the participation of a multidisciplinary excavation team with experts from diverse scientific disciplines like forensic archaeology, anthropology, geology, skeletal biology, history, forensic medicine etc.—data and context would have been greatly enhanced and information may have been obtained about the deceased individuals and whether they were the victims of crimes dating to the nineteenth century.
 

Kom el-Dikka 2014: human bones from Area U

Archaeological excavations of the medieval Islamic burial ground in the northern part of area U on the Kom el-Dikka site in Egyptian Alexandria, carried out from 2012 to 2014, yielded a total of 98 graves. Of these, 75 contained human skeletal remains. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) was 156. The article presents preliminary studies on this sample. The scope of the investigation was limited, however, owing to the poor state of preservation of the bone material.

Subadult Age at Death and Health Status at Niah Cave, Borneo (1500–200 bc)

AbstractSoutheast Asia's transition to rice agriculture is often used as an exception to the general pattern of health decline at the agricultural transition. Niah Cave is the largest known Southeast Asian Neolithic cemetery, providing valuable information about subadult health during the agricultural transition in this region. This study examines the health status and mortuary treatment of subadult skeletal remains (Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) = 49) from the Neolithic cemetery of Niah Cave, Sarawak, Malaysia (1500–200 bc). This study found that few cases of cribra orbitalia (4.6%) and porotic hyperostosis (14%). However, nonspecific infections may have been a risk factor for subadults as over half (65%) died with active cases of periosteal reactions on their long bones. Differential diagnosis determined that possible factors for this include parasite load, rickets and scurvy. Mortuary practices indicate that subadults may have been treated differently in phases 1 and 2 but were grated similar mortuary treatment in phases 3 and 4. This study suggests that changes in mobility patterns may have placed subadults at risk for increased parasite load and vitamin deficiency, while the role of subadults within the community may have changed over time. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DNA analysis of human skeletal remains from the 1845 Franklin expedition

Since the late nineteenth century, skeletal remains from members of the 1845 John Franklin Northwest Passage expedition have been the subject of osteological, biometric and, in modern times, isotopic analyses. These studies have been conducted to assess ancestry of the remains, evaluate morbidity and mortality on the expedition, and to weigh the relative importance of specific ailments, such as lead poisoning and scurvy, which some investigators have contended were significant factors in the deaths of all 129 men and, ultimately, in the disastrous failure of the expedition. The present study builds on, and adds a new dimension to past research by presenting the results of the first genetic analyses of skeletal remains from members of the expedition who perished following the desertion of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror in April 1848. A total of 39 tooth and bone samples were tested: 32 from four Erebus Bay archaeological sites, four from a site near Booth Point on the south coast of King William Island, two from Todd Island, south of Booth Point, and one from a site in Wilmot and Crampton Bay. DNA was successfully extracted and sequenced for 37 of the samples. The results for Erebus Bay increase the minimum number of individuals represented by the skeletal assemblages to 21, and allowed the identification of multiple skeletal elements from six individuals. Spatial distribution of bones sharing common maternal lineages provide insights concerning site formation processes, including the degree of bone dispersion at one site, and the movement of skeletal remains between two sites. DNA results for the Booth Point site sample provide independent confirmation for a previous assessment that the remains are Caucasoid, while those for the Wilmot and Crampton Bay site indicate Inuit ancestry. The results from Todd Island are consistent with 19th century Inuit accounts describing the discovery there of the remains of five members of the Franklin expedition. The Franklin expedition DNA database resulting from this study represents 24 individuals and provides a foundation for future research, including the possible identification of some of the individuals through comparison with modern DNA from living descendants of members of the expedition.