Principles of Archaeogenetics and the Current Trends of Ancient Genome Studies.
10.11637/kjpa.2018.31.4.105
- Author:
Taeho KIM
1
;
Eun Jin WOO
;
Sunyoung PAK
Author Information
1. Biological Anthropology Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea. suny@snu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Archaeogenetics;
Ancient DNA;
Ancient Genome;
Hominins;
Ancient populations
- MeSH:
DNA;
Far East;
Genetics;
Genome*;
Hominidae;
Humans
- From:Korean Journal of Physical Anthropology
2018;31(4):105-119
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Archaeogenetics is an academic discipline that aims to establish scientific facts of human history by integrating ancient DNA analyses with archaeological and anthropological evidence. After ancient DNA research was initiated about 30 years ago, it has been innovated so rapidly that the range of analysis has been extended toward the whole genome sequence of ancient genomes in recent 10 years. By this development, researchers have been able to study in detail the origins and migration patterns of hominin species and ancient human populations by approaches of evolutionary genetics. This study has reviewed main principles of the archaeogenetic analysis and the current trends of ancient genome studies with recent achievements. While sampling techniques and statistical analyses have been improved, typical research methods have been established by the findings on hominins and ancient western Eurasia populations. Recently, archaeogenecists have been applying the methods to studying those in other geographical areas. Nonetheless, there is still the lack of ancient genome research about populations in Eastern Asia including the Korean peninsula. This review ultimately aims to predict possibilities and promise of future ancient genome studies of ancient Korean populations.
