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Updated: Sep 18, 2026

Optimized Bone Sampling Protocols for the Retrieval of Ancient DNA from Archaeological Remains
Published on: November 30, 2021
Ancient DNA as a temporal lens: reconstructing evolution, migration, and disease dynamics
Abang Ulrich Akwo1, Julius Luvanga2, Ketonze Valademy Ketu3
1Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovations, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Bamenda, Cameroon.
Abstract:
Ancient DNA (aDNA) has transformed evolutionary biology and anthropology by providing direct, chronologically validated genetic evidence over millennia. This review synthesizes significant findings from the paleogenomic era (2010-2025), demonstrating how ancient DNA has resolved persistent debates across four interconnected themes: (i) human migration and admixture, revealing complex population transitions from archaic hominins to Holocene expansions; (ii) adaptation, tracking allele frequency changes during domestication and selection; (iii) pathogen history, clarifying the origins of pandemics and the evolution of microbiomes; and (iv) ecosystem dynamics, identifying extinction causes through sedimentary DNA and conservation genomics. We contend that scientific rigor and ethical stewardship are crucial for accurate conclusions, given ancient DNA study requires the destructive collection of culturally significant remains. This review argues that continued advancement will depend on the integration of genomic data with archaeological, isotopic, and proteomic evidence, and highlights the necessity for equitable involvement with descendant communities. By conceptualizing the past as a continuum of dynamic processes rather than static events, ancient DNA provides a revised historical narrative and insights relevant to contemporary concerns in conservation, health, and social justice.
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