Paleogenomics and Its Application in Human History Research

Ancient DNA is any DNA extracted from ancient specimens. The past decade has witnessed a revolution in ancient DNA 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, which gave birth to the palaeogenomics. The commonly objects of palaeogenomics generally include mtDNA, Y chromosome and autosome. By providing time-stamped genetic data, ancient DNA has addressed many significant problems in modern human history, including the worldwide diffusion during Holocene. Today, palaeogenomics is likely soon becoming a standard tool in archaeology similar to radiocarbon dating, allowing genetics to enter into a fruitful symbiotic relationship with archaeology and history.