Toward a new history and geography of human genes informed by ancient DNA.

Trends Genet
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Genetic information contains a record of the history of our species, and technological advances have transformed our ability to access this record. Many studies have used genome-wide data from populations today to learn about the peopling of the globe and subsequent adaptation to local conditions. Implicit in this research is the assumption that the geographic locations of people today are informative about the geographic locations of their ancestors in the distant past. However, it is now clear that long-range migration, admixture, and population replacement subsequent to the initial out-of-Africa expansion have altered the genetic structure of most of the world's human populations. In light of this we argue that it is time to critically reevaluate current models of the peopling of the globe, as well as the importance of natural selection in determining the geographic distribution of phenotypes. We specifically highlight the transformative potential of ancient DNA. By accessing the genetic make-up of populations living at archaeologically known times and places, ancient DNA makes it possible to directly track migrations and responses to natural selection.

Year of Publication
2014
Journal
Trends Genet
Volume
30
Issue
9
Pages
377-89
Date Published
2014 Sep
ISSN
0168-9525
DOI
10.1016/j.tig.2014.07.007
PubMed ID
25168683
PubMed Central ID
PMC4163019
Links
Grant list
F32 GM103098 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
R01 GM100233 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
GM100233 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
Howard Hughes Medical Institute / United States