FROM BITE TO BYTE: DECODING ANCIENT ORAL MICROBIAL DIALOGUES
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Wright, Sterling
- Graduate Program:
- Anthropology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- July 25, 2024
- Committee Members:
- Tim Ryan, Program Head/Chair
Mary Shenk, Major Field Member
George Perry, Major Field Member
Jake Nabel, Outside Unit Member
Laura Weyrich, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Emily Davenport, Outside Field Member - Keywords:
- Ancient DNA
Oral microbiomes
Anthropology
Bioinformatics
Data Science
Microbiome
History
Roman archaeology
Industrial Revolution
Iron Age
Middle Ages
Roman era
Classical archaeology
Archaeology
Bioarchaeology
Biostats
Compositional analysis
DNA
Shotgun metagenomics
Metagenomics - Abstract:
- Within the human mouth there is dental calculus, which was once perceived as a nuisance for archaeologists. However, the application of ancient DNA techniques to this rich bioarchive has offered unprecedented insights into the diet, lifestyle, and health of our ancestors. Such techniques have been applied to a wide range of ancient populations from a temporally, geographically, and culturally diverse context. These efforts have led to a better understanding of not only how humans interact with their environment, but also their oral microbes. In the rapidly expanding field of ancient oral microbiome research, scientists face a dizzying array of potential avenues to explore. The sheer abundance of critical questions and methodological approaches can be overwhelming. Amidst this vast ocean of possibilities, this dissertation zeros in on the oral microbiomes of individuals who had lived in places what are now present-day Romania, Serbia, Niger, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, England, Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Spain, and Australia. Individuals lived as early as 6,000 years ago and as recent as the present. From this dataset, I tackle three pivotal questions: 1. Do different ancient DNA laboratory protocols impact downstream analyses? 2. Is the Industrial Revolution associated with shifts in the oral microbiome? 3. Is the arrival of the Roman Empire into the Lower Danube associated with taxonomic shifts in the oral microbiome? By focusing on these specific avenues, I contribute vital knowledge to the field. Results from each chapter provide key insights into the utility of the oral microbiome in understanding the past and how that past has shaped the present. Each chapter advances the body of knowledge about the dental calculus microbiome. More broadly, this research enhances our understanding of the complex relationship between human health and changing environments.