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Communication invitée du thème
"L’Asie, zone de carrefours"
Insights into human history from ancient genomes

Apports des génomes anciens à l’étude de l’histoire humaine
Janet Kelso

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1Rapid advances in DNA sequencing together with the development of new molecular and computational methods have made possible the retrieval of ancient DNA from the bones and other remains found at archaeological excavations, and has provided a wealth of new information about the origins, migrations, and interactions of ancient humans. Over the past 15 years we have reconstructed the genomes of several Neandertals representing some of the geographic and temporal range of the Neandertals. Further, ancient DNA recovered from skeletal remains found in Denisova cave in the Altai identified the existence of a previously unknown extinct Asian hominin group related to Neandertals – the "Denisovans". The genomes of these now extinct humans offer a unique way to learn about their histories and to gain insights into their unique physiologies. We have compared the genomes Neandertals and Denisovans to those of modern humans to identify genetic changes that are unique to each of the groups, and ongoing work aims to determine whether any of these genetic variants might underlie traits characteristic of Neandertals, Denisovans or modern humans. These genomes have also revealed that mixture between these hominin groups was common: the ancestors of some modern humans interbred with Neandertals, such that all present-day people outside of Africa carry approximately 2% Neandertal DNA. In addition, populations in Asia also carry DNA inherited from Denisovans as a result of multiple distinct episodes of mixture with genetically diverse Denisovans. This introgressed DNA has been shown to have both positive and negative outcomes for present-day carriers, underlying apparently adaptive phenotypes such as high altitude adaptation, as well as influencing immunity and disease risk. I will discuss the promise of ancient DNA from new sources to refine ourt understanding of the distribution of Neandertals and Denisovans, and the opportunities that this provides to learn more about their interactions, cultures and subsistence strategies.

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Janet Kelso, « Communication invitée du thème
"L’Asie, zone de carrefours"
Insights into human history from ancient genomes »
Bulletins et mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris [En ligne], 37(S) | 2025, mis en ligne le 16 janvier 2025, consulté le 13 février 2025. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/14479 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/133nj

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Auteur

Janet Kelso

Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany ; kelso[at]eva.mpg.de

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