Unearthing Neanderthal population history using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from cave sediments

Area of Science:

• Paleogenomics
• Archaeogenetics
• Paleolithic Archaeology

Background:

• Pleistocene hominin DNA is crucial for understanding human evolution but rarely found in archaeological sites.
• Mitochondil DNA (mtDNA) from sediments offers limited insights into population dynamics.
• Nuclear DNA (nDNA) analysis from ancient remains is challenging due to degradation and scarcity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply methods for enriching and analyzing nuclear DNA from cave sediments.
• To reconstruct hominin population history during the Pleistocene using sedimentary ancient DNA (s-aDNA).
• To investigate population replacements and evolutionary events in Neanderthals.

Main Methods:

• Development of novel techniques for nuclear DNA enrichment from cave sediments.
• Application of these methods to European and Siberian cave deposits (200,000–50,000 years ago).
• Analysis of retrieved nuclear DNA to infer population movements and genetic events.

Main Results:

• Detection of a significant population replacement in northern Spain around 100,000 years ago, correlating with mtDNA changes.
• Identification of two distinct radiation events in Neanderthal history during the early Late Pleistocene.
• Successful retrieval and analysis of ancient hominin nuclear DNA directly from sediments.

Conclusions:

• Sedimentary ancient DNA (s-aDNA) provides a valuable new source for studying ancient hominin population genetics.
• This approach overcomes the limitations of relying solely on skeletal remains.
• The findings shed light on Neanderthal population dynamics and regional replacements during the Pleistocene.