Unlocking the evolutionary history of the mighty bluefin tuna using novel paleogenetic techniques and ancient tuna remains

Using novel molecular techniques, DNA was extracted from Atlantic bluefin tuna vertebrae excavated from late Iron Age and ancient Roman settlements in coastal Iberia (Portugal and Spain, 4th-2nd century BC; n=23) and Byzantine-era Constantinople (4th-15th century AD; n=6), as well as vertebrae from the Massimo Sella archive located at the University of Bologna (Ionian, Thyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas, early 20th century; n=150). Comparisons have been made between the amount of DNA contained in each sample (measured via quantitative polymerase chain reactions), their age and the enviromental conditions which the bones have been exposed to. A high performance genotyping panel containing SNPs derived from two separate projects funded by the GBYP scientific programme has been designed for the purpose of genotyping all historical samples along with modern samples collected in the same geographic areas. Included in the panel are 76 SNPs with high similarity to a wide variety of genes associated with musculoskeletal system, development, metabolism, cellular function, osmoregulation and immune response. An additional 20 SNPs that provide significant discrimination between modern populations have been included in the panel.