Doctoral Dissertation Research: Reconstructing Evolutionary History in Humans

Population movements have dramatically changed the composition of human groups. While some groups’ population and evolutionary histories have been studied, others are still in need of further examination. This doctoral dissertation research examines the composition and evolution of a past population and its living descendants by combining ancient as well as modern DNA analyses. Analyses of past individuals will trace maternal ancestry, whereas biparental ancestry will be examined in modern descendants. These findings enhance our understanding of human genetic variation and the ways in which historic events shape the genomes of contemporary groups. The study is designed in partnership with the descendants and provides training opportunities for students. This study collects and analyzes genetic data from ancient and modern contexts, to shed light on the evolutionary histories of a past population and its modern descendants. The researchers collect ancient mitochondrial DNA data from past individuals, as well as genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from present-day peoples living in the same area. The project uses these data to investigate three main topics: maternal ancestry, through mtDNA, in past and present-day peoples, and biparental ancestry patterns (SNP data), as well as evidence of genetic adaptation in immune-related genes in present-day individuals. By integrating ancient and modern DNA, the project sheds light on how population movements influence patterns of genetic ancestry and signals of selection. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.