Evolutionary Patterns and Processes: Lessons from Ancient DNA.
Ever since its emergence in 1984, the field of ancient DNA has struggled to overcome the challenges related to the decay of DNA molecules in the fossil record. With the recent development of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and molecular techniques tailored to ultra-damaged templates, it has now come of age, merging together approaches in phylogenomics, population genomics, epigenomics, and metagenomics. Leveraging on complete temporal sample series, ancient DNA provides direct access to the most important dimension in evolution—time, allowing a wealth of fundamental evolutionary processes to be addressed at unprecedented resolution. This review taps into the most recent findings in ancient DNA research to present analyses of ancient genomic and metagenomic data.
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Michela
M
Leonardi
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Pablo
P
Librado
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Clio
C
Der Sarkissian
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mikkel
M
Schubert
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed H
AH
Alfarhan
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saleh A
SA
Alquraishi
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Khaled A S
KA
Al-Rasheid
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Cristina
C
Gamba
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Eske
E
Willerslev
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Université de Toulouse, University Paul Sabatier (UPS), Laboratoire AMIS, Toulouse, France.
Ludovic
L
Orlando
D005075:Biological Evolution; D000072441:DNA, Ancient; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005580:Fossils; D023281:Genomics / Q000639:trends; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*
D000072441:DNA, Ancient
Ancient DNA; metagenomics; palaeogenomics; population genomics; temporal sampling