Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment
Archaeo- and Paleogenetics
The research focus of our group entails the genetic analysis of ancient human, pathogen, and animal diversity. We apply cutting-edge computational pipelines and molecular biology methodologies to extract genomic information from ancient specimens to aid the understanding of human history and evolution over tens of millennia.
Our interests span from reconstructing the demographic history of Neanderthal populations to tracking human dispersals during the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene across Eurasia. Moreover, our team investigates the genetic history of early inhabitants of the Asia-Pacific region and the peopling of the Americas. In more recent periods, our group is engaged in reconstructing the mobility, admixture, and living conditions of historical populations though the genomic analysis of humans and their associated pathogens. Our research expands beyond human fossils by investigating multiple ancient DNA sources including ancient animal remains.