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Paleogenomics

All articles tagged with #paleogenomics

Jomon Genomes Reveal Stepwise Cold-Weather Adaptations in Ice-Age Humans
science9 days ago

Jomon Genomes Reveal Stepwise Cold-Weather Adaptations in Ice-Age Humans

Scientists analyzed genomes from 42 Jomon individuals and used imputation to infer missing data, uncovering genetic adaptations linked to cold tolerance—such as nonshivering thermogenesis in brown fat and fatty‑acid metabolism—that likely helped these ancient populations survive icy climates. The findings suggest incremental, region‑specific adaptations during the last glacial period, with some variants showing Inuit-like convergence, highlighting a paleogenomic legacy that may continue to influence modern human variation and health.

via ScienceAlert|
#brown-fat#cold-adaptation#convergent-evolution
Ancient DNA ties Medici deaths to malaria, ending centuries of murder speculation
science1 month ago

Ancient DNA ties Medici deaths to malaria, ending centuries of murder speculation

New ancient-DNA analysis of Medici tomb remains finds malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum and P. malariae) in Francesco I de’ Medici’s bones and malaria signals in Giovanni, strengthening the case that the 1587 deaths were due to malaria rather than arsenic poisoning, while noting that toxin influence can’t be completely ruled out and that DNA evidence isn’t always definitive.

via CNN|
#dna-analysis#malaria#medici
Ancient African DNA survives up to 50,000 years, reshaping paleogenomics
science1 month ago

Ancient African DNA survives up to 50,000 years, reshaping paleogenomics

DNA extracted from a 50,000-year-old mountain reedbuck tooth in South Africa is the oldest sub-Saharan African DNA recovered to date, with additional Late Pleistocene specimens (including a 42,000-year-old wildebeest genome from Ethiopia) showing usable genetic material despite contamination and uneven preservation; the findings suggest Africa's climate can preserve DNA much longer than previously thought and expand windows for studying both animal and human evolution, though older hominin DNA remains elusive.

via Live Science|
#africa#ancient-dna#archaeology
DNA on the Walls: Ancient Human Clues Found in Prehistoric Rock Art
science1 month ago

DNA on the Walls: Ancient Human Clues Found in Prehistoric Rock Art

Scientists retrieved ancient human DNA from calcite crusts on cave walls and pigment on rock art across 11 caves in Spain and Portugal, a first that could someday help identify the artists behind prehistoric paintings. DNA was found in 24 painted panels, though only a few samples yielded usable ancient DNA, and ages are uncertain—likely at least a couple of thousand years old. The DNA may have been deposited via saliva or fluids during art creation, and some samples from unpainted cave areas also contained human DNA. While it raises exciting possibilities, researchers caution that it isn’t yet sure the DNA belongs to the artists, and future work will refine methods and expand sampling to more sites.

via The Times of India|
#ancient-dna#archaeology#cave-art
Ancient hunter-gatherer DNA linked to centenarian longevity
science4 months ago

Ancient hunter-gatherer DNA linked to centenarian longevity

An Italian study links extreme longevity to inherited DNA from Ice Age Western Hunter-Gatherers, finding centenarians more likely to carry this ancestry and reporting a 38% higher odds of centenarians with that ancestry; paleogenomics shows this pattern, but researchers caution that ancestry alone isn’t a predictor of aging and call for further biological follow-up.

via Earth.com|
#ancient-dna#centenarians#hunter-gatherers
Ancient Colombian skeleton yields oldest Treponema genome, reshaping syphilis origins
science7 months ago

Ancient Colombian skeleton yields oldest Treponema genome, reshaping syphilis origins

Researchers recovered TE1-3, the oldest Treponema pallidum genome, from a 5,500-year-old skeleton in Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia, pushing the bacterium’s presence in the Americas back by thousands of years and fueling the argument that syphilis may have originated in the Americas, though the exact origin and transmission routes remain unsettled.

via Live Science|
#americas-origin#ancient-dna#paleogenomics
Wolf Pup’s Meal Preserves Woolly Rhino DNA, Illuminating a Swift Extinction
science7 months ago

Wolf Pup’s Meal Preserves Woolly Rhino DNA, Illuminating a Swift Extinction

A genomic analysis recovered woolly rhino DNA from the stomach of a mummified ice-age wolf pup dating to about 14,400 years ago in Russia, offering a rare direct glimpse into the species’ gene pool as it was near extinction. The study suggests the woolly rhino’s final decline occurred rapidly after a population collapse likely linked to climate warming, and the sample was initially mistaken for belonging to a cave lion.

via Nature|
#ancient-dna#extinction#paleogenomics
Wolf’s last meal reveals woolly rhino genome, reframing Ice Age extinction
science7 months ago

Wolf’s last meal reveals woolly rhino genome, reframing Ice Age extinction

Scientists sequenced the woolly rhinoceros genome from tissue preserved in a 14,000-year-old wolf pup’s stomach in Siberian permafrost, marking the first time a genome has been reconstructed from inside another animal. By comparing this genome with other woolly rhino fossils and the Sumatran rhino, researchers found the species remained genetically stable until climate warming ended the last Ice Age, suggesting environmental change—not human hunting—drove extinction. The wolf pups likely died when their den collapsed, and the preserved stomach contents also offer a broader view of their ecosystem.

via CNN|
#ancient-dna#extinction#paleogenomics
Wolf's Last Meal Unlocks Woolly Rhino Genome, Tracing Rapid Ice-Age Extinction
science7 months ago

Wolf's Last Meal Unlocks Woolly Rhino Genome, Tracing Rapid Ice-Age Extinction

Scientists sequenced a full woolly rhino genome from the stomach of a 14,400-year-old wolf pup, revealing a genetically healthy population with low inbreeding before a rapid extinction likely caused by late Ice Age warming; comparison with an older rhino genome suggests the end came quickly after climate change, offering insights for modern biodiversity crises.

via Ars Technica|
#extinction#paleogenomics#permafrost
Ice-Age DNA Linked to Living Past 100, Italian Study Finds
science7 months ago

Ice-Age DNA Linked to Living Past 100, Italian Study Finds

Italian researchers analyzed DNA from over 1,000 individuals and found that centenarians carry more Western Hunter-Gatherer DNA, particularly the Villabruna cluster from about 14,000 years ago, which is linked to immune response and cellular repair. In a comparison of 333 centenarians and 690 younger adults, those with hunter-gatherer ancestry had about 38% higher odds of living to 100+, with the signal strongest in women. The study suggests ancient genomic patterns may influence aging and inflammaging, though environment and healthcare remain important and further lab work is needed to confirm functional effects.

via Indian Defence Review|
#centenarians#hunter-gatherer-ancestry#inflammaging