Forensic and Genetic Research

Forensic and genetic research at the intersection of ancient DNA and genomic analysis examines how human populations moved, mixed, and changed over thousands of years by recovering and sequencing genetic material from archaeological remains. Because ancient DNA is often fragmented and chemically degraded, a significant portion of the work involves developing computational and laboratory methods robust enough to distinguish genuine ancestral signals from contamination or sequencing error. Studies of mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome variation have already redrawn maps of prehistoric migration and revealed layers of admixture that written records cannot capture. Open questions remain around the demographic scale of past contact events, the genetic contributions of populations that left few physical traces, and how findings from ancient genomes can be responsibly integrated with modern forensic identification tools.

Works

68,082

Total citations

794,523

Keywords

Ancient DNAGenomic AnalysisPopulation HistoryHuman EvolutionForensic GeneticsMitochondrial DNA