It’s an exciting time for DNA and ancient DNA (aDNA) research in Africa.
The continent holds the clues to understanding both our deep evolutionary past as well as more recent events—such as the spread of food production and the development of trade networks—that shaped the genetic landscape we see today. Together, with other lines of archaeological, historical, and linguistic evidence, DNA and aDNA from Africa is helping scientists reconstruct human population history. Given that every person on the planet can trace their origins back to Africa, this is the story of all of us and how we came to be.
Yet studying DNA and aDNA from Africa remains highly challenging, especially when it comes to aDNA which does not preserve well in hot and/or humid climates. As a result, there have been far fewer genomics studies in Africa compared to other parts of the world. Fortunately, this is starting to change. Scientific advances over the past decade have enabled increasingly fine-scale investigations of both ancient and contemporary African peoples, with a steady increase in the number of genomes published each year. With such research poised to expand dramatically in the next decade, now is the time to consider what this research should look like, and who should be involved.
Over the past several years, my colleagues and I have been engaging with these questions as we’ve carried out research on the African past. Today, we are pleased to share a new paper published in the American Journal of Human Genetics that stems from conversations at the DNAirobi workshop we held in Kenya last year.
We hope that this paper, which is fully open access and available for free, will spark further discussions about how to address structural barriers in science and build a more equitable and inclusive future for genomics research in Africa and beyond. Unraveling our complicated past on the most genetically diverse continent on the planet is a job that requires many different people with different skills and perspectives. At the end of the day, good science is more than just big discoveries—it’s also how those discoveries are made.
Further Reading
Charting a landmark driven path forward for population genetics and ancient DNA research in Africa, 2024, American Journal of Human Genetics, and accompanying press release.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History blog highlighting the DNAairobi workshop.
Ancient DNA is a powerful tool for studying the past, when archaeologists and genetics work together, 2019, The Conversation.
Boots on the ground in Africa's ancient DNA ‘revolution’: archaeological perspectives on ethics and best practices, 2018, Antiquity.
Ethics of DNA research on human remains: five globally applicable guidelines, 2021, Nature.
Ancient DNA is revealing the origins of livestock herding in Africa, 2019, The Conversation, and original article published in Science.
Ancient DNA helps reveal social changes in Africa 50,000 years ago that shaped the human story, 2022, The Conversation, and original article published in Nature.
Entwined African and Asian genetic roots of medieval peoples of the Swahili coast, 2023, Nature.
