Researchers at a DNA company in Virginia, USA, recently used a technique known as "forensic DNA phenotype" to reconstruct the faces of the first three ancient Egyptians in 2792 based on the genetic sequencing results of the three mummies. It is reported that this is the first time that this technology has been used against humans of that era.
The three mummies come from Abuir el-Meleq, an ancient city in the floodplain area of southern Cairo.
The three mummies are reportedly from Abusir el-Meleq, an ancient city in the floodplain area of southern Cairo, buried between about 780 BC and 5 AD. Their DNA was first sequenced in 2017 by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Tübingen, Germany.
Recently, researchers at Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA technology company based in Virginia, usa, used the technical means of "forensic DNA phenotype" to create a 3D model of the appearance of three mummies before they were born based on the results of gene sequencing.
"Forensic DNA phenotype" techniques can use genetic analysis to infer characteristics such as genetic ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin color, freckles, and face shape of people of any ethnic background, thereby generating an electronic image on a computer.
Parabon's statement said it was the first time a comprehensive DNA phenotypic analysis had been performed on humans of this age.
The researchers found that the three Egyptian men belonged to an ancient Nile community and were estimated to have lived between 2023 and 2797 years ago, with light brown skin, dark eyes and hair.
The researchers generated a 3D mesh of the mummy's facial features and used heat maps to highlight the differences between the three so they could refine the details of each person.
Parabon says it's interesting that their genetic makeup is closer to modern humans in the Mediterranean or Middle East than to modern Egyptians.
The researchers found that the ancient Egyptians were most closely related to the ancient population of the Levant (present-day Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon) and to the Neolithic population of the Anatolian Peninsula and Europe.
For the first time, scientists have successfully extracted whole genome samples of mummies.
Experts from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History studied 151 mummies and successfully extracted accurate whole-genome DNA data from 3 mummies and usable DNA fragments from another 90 mummies. This is the first time ever that a whole genome sample has been taken from a mummified body.
Dr Ellen Greytak, director of bioinformatics at Parabon, said genome sequencing and advanced bioinformatics are revolutionizing ancient DNA analysis.
Forensic DNA phenotype techniques can also be used to generate clues to criminal cases without a suspect or database, or to help identify remains.
Text/Nandu reporter Chen Lin