A brief history of palaeogenomics: How a young discipline revolutionised the study of the past

Authors

  • Carles Lalueza-Fox Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Pompeu Fabra University), Barcelona (Spain).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.8.9226

Keywords:

human evolution, Neanderthals, genomics, prehistory

Abstract

In only a few short years, the ancient DNA field has transformed from an anecdotal and artisanal discipline into one of the most dynamic current scientific fields, generating massive genomic data from hundreds of past individuals. These include extinct hominins such as Neanderthals and Denisovans and prehistoric humans, and have provided information about the recent settlement of the continents. The field of palaeogenomics gives direct space and time information about the adaptive and demographic aspects of human populations and reveals complex patterns of past migrations that can help us to understand our current diversity. The development of this discipline is a unique opportunity to establish partnerships with archaeologists and anthropologists and to build up a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the past.

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Author Biography

Carles Lalueza-Fox, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Pompeu Fabra University), Barcelona (Spain).

Researcher at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Pompeu Fabra University), Barcelona (Spain). He is a world-renowned expert in palaeogenomics and has published more than a hundred papers in international scientific journals, dealing with the recovery of genetic material from extinct species and humans from the past. He participated in the Neanderthal Genome Project and is currently working on the genomic reconstruction of Europe’s recent history.

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Published

2018-06-05

How to Cite

Lalueza-Fox, C. (2018). A brief history of palaeogenomics: How a young discipline revolutionised the study of the past. Metode Science Studies Journal, (8), 91–97. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.8.9226
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Sapiens. In the path of the human being

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