X-Message-Number: 17593 From: "Jan Coetzee" <> Subject: Ancient Brains may help Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 00:47:04 -0400 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0026_01C13F12.44EE1760 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Can 1800-year-old brains still contain knowledge? DNA from well-preserved brain tissue unearthed last year may provide new evidence for scholarly debates over the origins of the Japanese population, writes Sherri Chasin Calvo. Aoya Kamijichi is an archaeological site on the Japanese coast dating from the Yayoi period, about 300 BCE to 300 CE (common era). There scientists dug up about 5000 bones belonging to almost 100 people, believed to have been killed during a revolt. While cleaning the mud from the skulls with a spoon, Tottori University anatomy professor Takao Inoue was surprised to discover the remains of tissue with a color and consistency resembling tofu. Brain tissue decomposes quickly, and rarely turns up at archaeological sites. Occasionally it is discovered in peat bog burials, but such ancient, well-preserved soft tissue had not been found before in Japan. Now, thanks to the particular combination of conditions at Aoya Kamijichi, including cold temperatures and soil consisting of heavy, nearly airtight clay, brain fragments from two men and a woman emerged from their long burial looking amazingly lifelike. After taking computerized tomography (CT) scans of the skulls, researchers removed the brain fragments. They ranged in size up to 300 grams in weight, or almost 25% of the brain, and characteristic folds and wrinkles were clearly visible. Electron microscope examination confirmed the presence of nerve fibers. The brains were then stored just below the freezing point to preserve them for future study. http://www.chemweb.com/alchem/articles/997691251099.html ------=_NextPart_000_0026_01C13F12.44EE1760 Content-Type: text/html; [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=17593