Demographic inference from ancient human genomes
Reconstructing the demographic history of our species is important not only for satisfying a legitimate curiosity about our origins, but also because it can allow us to better infer past episodes of selection and correctly interpret observed patterns of genomic diversity. In the last 10 years, ancient DNA has revolutionized the way we can reconstruct the settlement history of modern humans, as it gives us direct access to the genomic identity of the first colonizers of different regions of the world. However, most ancient genomes are only partially sequenced, which limits their use for demographic inference as the retrieved information suffers from ascertainment bias. However, investing in good quality ancient genomes allows one to use sophisticated inference methods developed for the analysis of modern genomes. These ancient genomes can thus be used as anchor points in the analysis of modern genomes, or be analyzed on their own to provide new insights about past settlement processes. I will illustrate this point by showing how they have allowed us to provide new insights about the exit of modern humans out of Africa, the settlement of northeastern Siberia and the relationships between early farmers and hunter gatherers from western Eurasia.
Chair: Estella Poloni