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Assessment Questions 10.9
1. What challenges are associated with preserving genetic material in Egypt, and how did researchers overcome these challenges in studying ancient Egyptian mummies?
The hot and dry conditions in Egypt are generally not conducive to the preservation of genetic material. However, researchers were able to retrieve mitochondrial DNA from 90 mummies and nuclear DNA from three additional mummies, all dating from between a little less than 3,400 years ago and a little more than 2,400 years ago.
2. What genetic information did the analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of the mummies reveal about the ancient Egyptians?
The analysis showed that the most ancient Egyptians were most closely related to the people of the Middle East, even more so than to modern Egyptians. It indicated a genetic influx of sub-Saharan Africans in the more recent remains, beginning around 2,300 years ago.
3. How does the genetic relationship between ancient Egyptians and the people of the Middle East differ from their relationship with modern Egyptians?
The genetic analysis revealed that the most ancient Egyptians were more closely related to the people of the Middle East than to modern Egyptians. This suggests a shift in genetic composition over time.