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Palaeogenomics

Palaeogenomics is the study of degraded DNA from archaeological and historical samples.

Also known as “ancient DNA”, palaeogenomics can be used to answer a range of research questions, including kinship between individuals buried in cemeteries, the presence of plants and animals in archaeological sediment, species identification of fragmentary bones, domestication processes and the evolutionary histories of species. 

The University of York has supported palaeogenomics for over a decade. We collaborate on a diversity of projects, including genome-wide analyses of human and animal remains, as well as plant palaeogenomics. In recent years we have investigated human populations and domesticates such as dogs, maize, grapevine and sunflower, and in the future we plan to continue to develop new projects to track the domestication and spread of important species. Our projects frequently involve an experimental component, wherein we aim to improve methodologies and determine if novel substrates contain authentic ancient DNA. 

Our focus areas

  • Origin and spread of crops using ancient DNA
  • The history of winemaking
  • The movement of maize throughout the Americas
  • Investigation of prehistoric human populations using ancient DNA
  • Population histories of dogs

Our people

Photo Name Role

Dr Nathan Wales

 

Lecturer in Archaeological Science

Dr Sophy Charlton

 

Lecturer in Bioarchaeology
Sofia Skott digging in a field

Sofia Skott

 

Technician

Focus Areas

  • Origin and spread of crops using ancient DNA
  • The history of winemaking
  • The movement of maize throughout the Americas

What can the DNA lab offer?

  • Kinship and population affinity studies
  • Analysis of DNA from artefacts
  • Sedimentary DNA and coprolite analysis

We do not offer a commercial service as we work on a collaborative basis. Please contact Nathan Wales if you have an interesting project to discuss. Commercial services may be available through the SciLifeLab in Uppsala, Sweden. 

Research highlights

Some of our past research includes:

Ancient DNA from grape seeds reveals history of French wine

A grape variety can be traced back 900 years to just one ancestral plant, scientists have discovered.

Discovering DNA in old books and parchment

Even the beeswax used in seals is rich with data about the past, including the flowers that grew in that region year to year.

The prehistoric movement and selection of maize

Unravelling the history of maize domesticates reveals a complex journey into South America.

Genetically distinct human groups at end of last ice age

Oldest DNA in Britain from pair of individuals reveals two distinct ancestries

International collaborators

Researcher University Area of research
Jazmín Ramos Madrigal, Tom Gilbert University of Copenhagen The domestication histories of maize and grapevine
Benjamin Blackman University of California, Berkeley The domestication history of sunflower
Laurent Bouby ISEM at the University of Montpellier The history of grapevine cultivation
Muriel Gros-Balthazard Institut de Recherche pour le Développement The domestication history of the date palm
Greger Larson University of Oxford

Dog domestication
Laurent Frantz Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich aDNA of dogs and wolves
Ian Barnes, Selina Brace Natural History Museum London

aDNA from museum collections

Please visit our facility page for more technical information about the instruments involved.

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