Since the first studies 30 years ago, the analysis of ancient DNA from biological specimens found in archaeological contexts has propelled our understanding of the evolution of our species, how humans diverged and interacted in the past, how biology and culture coevolved, how environmental changes impacted on past ecosystems, and also how diseases evolved and spread throughout the ancient world. Recent developments in molecular genetics now provide insights into biological processes unthinkable just 10 years ago. Ancient DNA researchers using these new methods have been able to reconstruct complete genomes of Neanderthals and other extinct species as old as 700,000 years, reconstruct past oral and gut microbiomes allowing incredible insights into past diets and health, to study complex evolutionary processes of adaptation to physical stressors in real-time, study ancient gene expression patterns, and to reconstruct complex patterns of admixture between human populations worldwide granting us a much better picture of how different cultures and regions interacted with each other. Indeed, ancient DNA research has reached the Age of Genomics. The UCSC Archaeological Research Center is hosting a public research conference on Paleogenomics with talks by major leaders in the field. These scientists will present a range of contributions that modern Paleogenomics has made to archaeological efforts to solve the riddles of our collective past.

Campus Entrance: