Learn about technological achievements that allowed for the sequencing of ancient DNA. This course provides a basic understanding of human genomics and its application to the study of the historic human population migrations. The first session is a basic review of human genetics and genomics, the history of the human genome project, and the diverse problems that can be addressed with DNA technology. The second session focuses on the technological achievements that allowed for the sequencing of ancient DNA and how these results inform our understanding of the migration of human populations. The multiple migrations into Europe and into the Americas will be discussed. These examples illustrate how current human populations reflect the genomic mixing of migrant ancestors.
Suggested reading: Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Past by David Reich