Mitogenomic Diversity in Sacred Ibis Mummies sheds light on early Egyptian practices
S. Wasef, S. Subramanian, R. O'Rorke, L. Huynen, S. El-Marghani, C. Curtis, A. Popinga, B. Holland, S. Ikram, C. Millar, E. Willerslev, D. Lambert
The paper analyzes mitochondrial genomes of Sacred Ibis mummies to determine how ancient Egyptians obtained birds for mummification, finding high genetic diversity suggesting wild taming rather than centralized farming.
bioRxiv · Apr 16, 2019Evolutionary Biology