Scientists Identify the World's First Known Dog, Which Pushes Back the Animals' Genetic Record by About 5,000 Years Two new ancient DNA studies suggest that domesticated dogs were widespread in western Eurasia more than 14,000 years ago

Scientists Identify the World's First Known Dog, Which Pushes Back the Animals' Genetic Record by About 5,000 Years: Two new ancient DNA studies suggest that domesticated dogs were widespread in western Eurasia more than 14,000… @SmithsonianMag #Dogs #AncientDNA #Genetics #DogHistory #Domestication

Medieval DNA reveals trans-Saharan connections, rapid genetic mixing, and leprosy in Islamic Ibiza Medieval Ibiza was far from a quiet Mediterranean backwater. New DNA evidence shows that the island was part of a dynamic world linking Europe, North Africa and even the Sahel zone, south of Sahara. An international research team led from the Centre for Palaeogenetics (CPG), a joint venture between Stockholm University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History, has revealed that its population was remarkably diverse, connected to Europe, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa through trade, migration, and social networks. The study is published in Nature Communications.

26-Mar-2026
#Medieval DNA reveals trans-Saharan connections, rapid genetic mixing, and leprosy in Islamic #Ibiza

Sounds like it was already a holiday hotspot ...

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1121342

#science #ancientDNA #humans

Première conférence de la Communauté de Recherche en Archéologie Biomoléculaire et isotopique - Sciencesconf.org CRABi - Communauté de Recherche en Archéologie Biomoléculaire et isotopique - Bordeaux - Novembre 2026

Plus que 6 jours !
Soumettez votre résumé pour les 1ères journées #CRABi
📍 Bordeaux | 🗓️ 12–13 nov. 2026
ADN ancien, isotopes, paléoprotéomique, résidus organiques… toutes les approches bienvenues !
crabi.sciencesconf.org
#Archaeology #AncientDNA #Isotopes #AncientBiomolecules

The Cemetery at the Edge of the Islamic World Thirteen medieval burials on Ibiza hold the genetic record of a conquered island, trans-Saharan networks, and a case of leprosy hidden in plain sight.

New ancient DNA from 10th–12th century Islamic Ibiza reveals Sub-Saharan African individuals from Chad and Senegambia, rapid post-conquest admixture, and the first genetically confirmed leprosy case from medieval Islamic Iberia. #Archaeogenomics #AncientDNA #MedievalHistory

We are delighted to share our new #aDNA preprint on population continuity and shifts in the Early #Medieval Altai region: 91 new ancient individuals associated with successive cultures in a ca. 1400-year-long time transect.
doi.org/10.64898/202...

#AncientGenomics #ancientDNA #popgen

ERROR: The request could not be satisfied

Ancient DNA Reveals Europe’s First Dogs Came From Eastern Wolves — Not Local Ones #Science #Biology #Genetics #AncientDNA #Evolution #Dogs

www.discovermagazine.com/ancient-dna-reveals-euro...

ERROR: The request could not be satisfied

Ancient DNA Reveals How Farming Spread in the Southern Andes of Argentina #Science #Biology #Genetics #AncientDNA #FarmingHistory #SouthernAndes

www.discovermagazine.com/ancient-dna-reveals-how-...

Ancient DNA Reveals Medieval Secret Hidden Inside a 5,000-Year-Old Spanish Monument Ancient DNA from a medieval burial inside a Neolithic monument reveals unexpected ancestry links and hints that the site’s significance endured far longer than once believed.

Ancient DNA Reveals Medieval Secret Hidden Inside a 5,000-Year-Old Spanish Monument #Science #Biology #Genetics #AncientDNA #Archaeology

scitechdaily.com/ancient-dna-reveals-medi...

One Species, Barely Holding Together Two new genomic studies reveal Neanderthals as a patchwork of tiny, isolated populations — more genetically divided than any humans alive today

Two new genomic studies reveal Neanderthals as a patchwork of tiny, isolated groups — more genetically fractured than any living human populations. A single bottleneck nearly ended them 65,000 years ago. #Neanderthals #AncientDNA #HumanEvolution #Anthropology #Paleoanthropology

When were dogs domesticated? The oldest known dog DNA offers clues Two new studies suggest that genetically stable dogs were living among humans in Europe by about 14,000 years ago.

When were dogs domesticated? The oldest known dog DNA offers clues #Science #Biology #Genetics #DogDomestication #AncientDNA #GeneticsResearch

www.sciencenews.org/article/oldest-dog-dna-d...

One Lineage to Rule Them All: The Last Neanderthals Were Descended from a Single Refugium Population New DNA confirms Europe's last Neanderthals descended from a single population that survived the MIS 4 glacial in southwest France.

New mtDNA from 6 Neanderthal sites shows nearly all Late Neanderthals descended from one refugium population in SW France ~65,000 years ago — then collapsed again ~42,000 years ago. #Neanderthals #AncientDNA #Paleoanthropology www.anthropology.net/p/one-lineag...

The Old Irish Goat Carries 3,000 Years Of Irish History In Its DNA

#SciComm🧪 by @grrlscientist.bsky.social

#history📜 #Archaeology #ancientDNA #genomics🧬 #proteomics www.forbes.com/sites/grrlsc...

No One Was Supposed To Find These: The Darkest Secrets of the Middle of Nowhere 🦴 The Shadows of Isolation: What Earth Hides in the Dark ❄️ Ever wondered why some places are left off the map? 🗺️ It’s not because there’s nothing there—it’s because what we found is too disturbing to talk about. From the peaks of Everest to the frozen silence of Siberia, the world’s most remote corners aren't just empty; they are vaults of the macabre. If you think the middle of nowhere is safe, this episode will make you think twice. In this episode, we peel back the layers of history to reveal archaeological discoveries that defy logic and stir the soul. We explore the unexplained mysteries that emerge when human survival meets total isolation. Why would Bronze Age Scots stitch together different bodies to create “Frankenstein” mummies? 🧟‍♂️ How did a medieval warrior survive with an iron blade where his hand should be? These aren't just stories; they are the cold, hard truths of ancient warfare and human brutality. What’s Lurking in the Quiet? - ⚔️ Ancient Chemical Warfare: Discover the terrifying reality of Roman soldiers meeting their end in a toxic cloud at Dura-Europos—the first recorded use of gas in battle. - 🏔️ The Frozen Sentinels: Why the remains on Mount Everest and the Arctic are more than just landmarks—they are eerie mysteries frozen in time. - 🚣 The Ghost Lifeboat: An abandoned vessel on Bouvet Island, the world’s most isolated landmass, with no footprints leading away and no survivors to tell the tale. - 🌲 The Hermit’s Secret: The Lykov family’s 40-year disappearance into the Siberian wilderness and their shocking survival against the elements. Is it scientific progress, or is it a historical nightmare? We are diving deep into the disturbing archaeological finds and dark history that mainstream textbooks are too afraid to touch. If you’ve ever felt like someone—or something—was watching you in the wilderness, this episode might just prove you right. 🔦 🔥 JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Are these finds a window into our resilient past or a warning for our future? Subscribe now, leave a 5-star review, and hit the notification bell to journey into the abyss with us. Don’t forget to share this with a friend who loves creepy historical facts—unless they’re too scared to listen! 🎙️✨  

📣 New Podcast! "No One Was Supposed To Find These: The Darkest Secrets of the Middle of Nowhere" on @Spreaker #agafialykova #ancientdna #ancientwarfare #archaeology2026 #climatemysteries #coldcases #darkarchaeology #darkpast #everestdead #extremeisolation #frankensteinmummies #ghostships

Palau’s First Settlers Were Already a Mixed Population Before They Arrived New ancient DNA research overturns assumptions about when Pacific peoples began mixing — and reveals nearly 3,000 years of unbroken genetic continuity in the western Pacific.

Palau’s first settlers arrived ~3,200 years ago already carrying 40% Papuan ancestry — centuries before similar mixing happened elsewhere in the Pacific. New ancient DNA research rewrites the archipelago’s founding story. #Paleoanthropology #AncientDNA #PacificPrehistory

Speaking of which, it’s exciting to see that this new whole genome #AncientDNA study (in pre-print) on her father in law Otto I and his grandnephew Heinrich II was published today 👏👏🎉

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

But archaeology alone could not answer a key question:
was agriculture adopted by local populations?
Or did it arrive with people from other farming regions?
To answer that, we needed another line of evidence: #ancientDNA. (8/25+)

🚨New abstract deadline for #INQUA in beautiful India is approaching soon! 🇮🇳

Deadline: 31.3.2026

If you are working on #sedaDNA🧬 you have the choice between two sessions!

Here is one:
Sedimentary #ancientDNA and #paleogenomics: Tracing #ecosystem change and #climate dynamics through time

Mummified cheetahs found in Saudi caves could shape rewilding plans Researchers exploring a cave network in northern Saudi Arabia have made an unexpected find: seven naturally mummified cheetahs, along with the skeletal remains of 54 more, preserved for up to 4,000 ye...

#AncientDNA analysis of naturally mummified #Cheetah for the first time, showed that two subspecies historically inhabited the Saudi Arabia region, not one as previously assumed. This new evidence for a second subspecies is significant for #rewilding planners

news.mongabay.com/2026/02/mumm...

The applications to this year's HAAM-Summer School are officially open until the 13th of April! #aDNA #ancientDNA #HAAMSummerSchool #HAAM-community #SummerSchool

Ancient DNA from Palaeoloxodon naumanni in Japan reveals early evolution of Eurasian Palaeoloxodon Palaeoloxodon, the extinct genus of straight-tusked elephants, originated in Africa and dispersed across Eurasia. We analyzed ancient mitochondrial DN…

Straight-tusked #elephants once roamed across #Eurasia, but one lineage became stranded in Japan?! 🐘🧬 Ancient #mtDNA reveals Palaeoloxodon naumanni as an early-diverging lineage that survived in island isolation.
doi.org/10.1016/j.is...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #palaeogenetics #ancientDNA

Scientists discover ancient DNA “switches” hidden in plants for 400 million years

Scientists have just unveiled an incredible secret: ancient DNA "switches" hidden in plants for 400 million years! This fascinating discovery could unlock new insights into plant resilience and adaptation, offering exciting possibilities for the future. 🌿 #ScienceNews #PlantBiology #AncientDNA

The mixed Iberian, Mediterranean and North African ancestry of an individual buried in the Menga dolmen has been revealed Researchers from the University of Seville are participating in an international study that sheds new light on the genetic diversity of Andalusian society between the 8th and 11th centuries AD and reinforces the historical significance of the dolmen as a sacred space used throughout the ages

13-Mar-2026
The mixed #Iberian, #Mediterranean and #NorthAfrican #ancestry of an individual buried in the #Menga dolmen has been revealed

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1119901

#science #ancientDNA #andalucia #humans

The Birds That Crossed the Andes: Ancient DNA and the Pre-Inca Parrot Trade How feathers from a 1,000-year-old coastal tomb revealed a continent-spanning live animal trade that predated Inca roads by centuries.

New ancient DNA + isotope study: 1,000-year-old parrot feathers from a Peruvian elite tomb reveal live macaws were carried across the Andes centuries before the Inca. The trade network is more sophisticated than anyone expected. #Archaeology #AncientDNA #Andes

the mysteries of syphilis Many infectious diseases have managed to establish themselves in human populations after the advent of agriculture, when dense settlements enabled them to spread and persist. Later, trade and warfare carried them around the world, typically from densely populated Eurasia to other parts of the world where the lack of immunity led to catastrophic consequences. Syphilis is the great exception to this scenario. It likely originated in the New World (if it hasn't spread with humans since the expansion out of Africa) and has now been shown to predate intensive agriculture and dense settlements. The pathogen _Treponema pallidum_ has been challenging researchers, but ancient DNA is now showing up that clarifies the origins and early evolution of this disease, which has terrified Europeans since Columbus came back from his transatlantic voyages. Read all about it in my latest feature which is out now: **An ancient disease from the New World** Current Biology Volume 36, Issue 5, 9 March 2026, Pages R171-R173 Restricted access to full text and PDF download (Unfortunately, this year's features will no longer become open access one year after publication - do contact me if you would like a PDF. Last year's features will still move to the open archives as this year advances.) Magic link for free access (first seven weeks only) See also my new Mastodon thread where I will highlight all this year's CB features. My mastodon posts are also mirrored on Bluesky. Last year's thread is here . _Treponema pallidum_ , which causes several diseases including syphilis, has proven difficult to cultivate and to study. (Image by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.)

this week's feature in @CurrentBiology is about the unusual origins of #syphilis now being clarified by #ancientDNA research proseandpassion.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-mysteries-of... #science

the mysteries of syphilis Many infectious diseases have managed to establish themselves in human populations after the advent of agriculture, when dense settlements enabled them to spread and persist. Later, trade and warfare carried them around the world, typically from densely populated Eurasia to other parts of the world where the lack of immunity led to catastrophic consequences. Syphilis is the great exception to this scenario. It likely originated in the New World (if it hasn't spread with humans since the expansion out of Africa) and has now been shown to predate intensive agriculture and dense settlements. The pathogen _Treponema pallidum_ has been challenging researchers, but ancient DNA is now showing up that clarifies the origins and early evolution of this disease, which has terrified Europeans since Columbus came back from his transatlantic voyages. Read all about it in my latest feature which is out now: **An ancient disease from the New World** Current Biology Volume 36, Issue 5, 9 March 2026, Pages R171-R173 Restricted access to full text and PDF download (Unfortunately, this year's features will no longer become open access one year after publication - do contact me if you would like a PDF. Last year's features will still move to the open archives as this year advances.) Magic link for free access (first seven weeks only) See also my new Mastodon thread where I will highlight all this year's CB features. My mastodon posts are also mirrored on Bluesky. Last year's thread is here . _Treponema pallidum_ , which causes several diseases including syphilis, has proven difficult to cultivate and to study. (Image by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.)

my features published in @CurrentBiology this year, issue 5: #AncientDNA reveals the unusual origins of #syphilis

proseandpassion.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-mysteries-of... #science #medicine #infectiousDiseases

From #Genes to #History: between February 25–27, 2026, participants of the #HistoGenes #ERC Synergy Project—including our colleagues— met in Vienna at a final conference to share their most important findings.
Read more: bit.ly/4re8DGJ
#AncientGenomics #ancientDNA #aDNA #anthropology #archaeology

The One-Way Street of Paleolithic Love: Why Neanderthal Men and Sapiens Women Were the "It" Couple of Deep History By Seth Chagi

Prehistoric love was a ONE-WAY STREET.

New evidence proves it was Neanderthal men and Homo sapiens women who were the "It Couple" of deep history. WOPA’s Seth Chagi explains why this specific match shaped our genetics and social history.

open.substack.com/pub/deephist...
#AncientDNA #ScienceNews

Bronze Age Sheep Bone Yields First Ancient Yersinia pestis Genome in Livestock, Shedding Light on Prehistoric Plague Spread Researchers have identified the bacterium Yersinia pestis in the remains of a domesticated sheep dating back about 4,000 years from the Arkaim site in the Southern Ural Mountains, Russia. This marks the first detection of the pathogen in a non-human host from the Bronze Age, belonging to the Late Neolithic-Bronze Age (LNBA) lineage that infected humans across Eurasia for nearly 2,000 years starting around 5,000 years ago. Unlike the later Black Death strain, this ancient version lacked flea-transmission capabilities, leaving scientists puzzled about its wide geographic spread. The discovery, published in Cell, suggests livestock like sheep played a key role in transmission, possibly alongside an unidentified natural reservoir such as steppe rodents or migratory birds. The sheep's infection closely matches strains found in nearby human remains, indicating shared exposure dynamics tied to pastoralist lifestyles of the Sintashta culture, known for horse riding, bronze tools, and large herds. Lead researcher Taylor Hermes from the University of Arkansas highlighted how analyzing livestock ancient DNA can uncover pathogens affecting both animals and humans. The findings underscore how human-animal interactions and steppe mobility facilitated disease spread in prehistory. Ongoing work, supported by a Max Planck grant, aims to find more evidence in the region. The study also draws modern parallels, warning that disrupting ecosystems through expanding activities can heighten zoonotic disease risks, emphasizing the need to respect natural balances.

Bronze Age Sheep Bone Yields First Ancient Yersinia pestis Genome in Livestock, Shedding Light on Prehistoric Plague Spread

🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Usuarios: It's clickbait ⚠️

#ancientdna #yersiniapestis #bronzeage

View full AI summary:

Last week I attended the 18th East-West Immunogenetics Conference in Zagreb, where I presented on insights from ancient DNA regarding HLA evolution.
I would like to thank Renata Zunec and Zorana Grubic for the great organization and their kind invitation to speak.

#immunology #HLA #MHC #ancientDNA

The People the Urns Left Out: Genetics, Bones, and Burial in Late Bronze Age Central Germany What rare inhumations from the Urnfield period reveal about ancestry, mobility, diet, and death in communities that refused to follow the crowd

Late Bronze Age Central Germany: Ancient DNA and isotopes reveal a community that stayed mostly local, ate millet then returned to wheat, and buried skulls in pits without any apparent family logic. New paper in Nature Communications. #AncientDNA #ArchaeologyOfDeath #BronzeAge