Re: X-posted Ancient DNA publishing (from C. Pretzman)

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>               RE>Ancient DNA publishing standards          7/14/95


I will reply.... If the sequence is from a contaminant in the original
material, what good does it do to have an independent confirmation of
contaminant.  If the only sequence data obtainable is contaminant, then the
repeat lab efforts will also get the contaminant.  This makes repeats
worthless.  This should be apparent with the amber bee. All that could
happen is that the second, or third or fourth lab will confirm the same
sequence, contaminant or not.  What has to be done to confirm that a
sequence is really extinct, is to show that, by conventional sequence
analysis and cladistic programs, (which, by the way, assume equal
contribution of fixed mutations for every pair of species compared, thus
assuming all species compared are extant, and predict the most recent
ancestor on this basis), a paradox is created in the cladistic analysis by
means of statistical proof that the 'extinct' sequence contributes unequally
to the prediction of the ancestral sequence.  Woodward did not even have a
confirmed and identified dino bone, enuf said.  From that point on, he was
building assumption on assumption, and I am shocked that the paper made it
past the reviewers.  I think it was hysteria.

Contaminant sequence is easily proven, extinct sequence not so easily proven
unless one sequences multiple genes from one dino sp., or single genes from
several dino species in order to construct a phylogeny.  Cyto b evolves too
rapidly, I would not have chosen it. I use the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. I
have sequence, 700+ bp from Tenontosaurus and also from an unknown Alaskan
hadrosaur. I cannot publish these results because of people who have cried
wolf. Very frustrating.  I pull no punches either<GGG>.  Now it is necessary
to undo the hysteria and do thrice as much work to convince the editors,
reviewers and skeptics.

Results of ambiguous work should not be published as it hurts other researchers.

OK, that's my two cents worth-comments

_Chip Pretzman
Dept. of Molecular Genetics
The Ohio State University
cpretzma@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu