TY - JOUR

T1 - Ancient genomics

AU - Der Sarkissian, Clio

AU - Allentoft, Morten Erik

AU - Avila Arcos, Maria del Carmen

AU - Barnett, Ross

AU - Campos, Paula F.

AU - Cappellini, Enrico

AU - Ermini, Luca

AU - Fernandez Garcia, Rut

AU - Rodrigues da Fonseca, Rute Andreia

AU - Ginolhac, Aurélien

AU - Hansen, Anders Johannes

AU - Jónsson, Hákon

AU - Korneliussen, Thorfinn Sand

AU - Margaryan, Ashot

AU - Martin, Michael David

AU - Moreno Mayar, José Victor

AU - Raghavan, Maanasa

AU - Rasmussen, Morten

AU - Sandoval Velasco, Marcela

AU - Schroeder, Hannes

AU - Schubert, Mikkel

AU - Seguin-Orlando, Andaine

AU - Wales, Nathan

AU - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.

AU - Willerslev, Eske

AU - Orlando, Ludovic Antoine Alexandre

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - The past decade has witnessed a revolution in ancient DNA (aDNA) research. Although the field's focus was previously limited to mitochondrial DNA and a few nuclear markers, whole genome sequences from the deep past can now be retrieved. This breakthrough is tightly connected to the massive sequence throughput of next generation sequencing platforms and the ability to target short and degraded DNA molecules. Many ancient specimens previously unsuitable for DNA analyses because of extensive degradation can now successfully be used as source materials. Additionally, the analytical power obtained by increasing the number of sequence reads to billions effectively means that contamination issues that have haunted aDNA research for decades, particularly in human studies, can now be efficiently and confidently quantified. At present, whole genomes have been sequenced from ancient anatomically modern humans, archaic hominins, ancient pathogens and megafaunal species. Those have revealed important functional and phenotypic information, as well as unexpected adaptation, migration and admixture patterns. As such, the field of aDNA has entered the new era of genomics and has provided valuable information when testing specific hypotheses related to the past.

AB - The past decade has witnessed a revolution in ancient DNA (aDNA) research. Although the field's focus was previously limited to mitochondrial DNA and a few nuclear markers, whole genome sequences from the deep past can now be retrieved. This breakthrough is tightly connected to the massive sequence throughput of next generation sequencing platforms and the ability to target short and degraded DNA molecules. Many ancient specimens previously unsuitable for DNA analyses because of extensive degradation can now successfully be used as source materials. Additionally, the analytical power obtained by increasing the number of sequence reads to billions effectively means that contamination issues that have haunted aDNA research for decades, particularly in human studies, can now be efficiently and confidently quantified. At present, whole genomes have been sequenced from ancient anatomically modern humans, archaic hominins, ancient pathogens and megafaunal species. Those have revealed important functional and phenotypic information, as well as unexpected adaptation, migration and admixture patterns. As such, the field of aDNA has entered the new era of genomics and has provided valuable information when testing specific hypotheses related to the past.

U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2013.0387

DO - 10.1098/rstb.2013.0387

M3 - Review

C2 - 25487338

VL - 370

JO - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

SN - 0962-8436

IS - 1660

M1 - 20130387

ER -