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
Related links
Find out about our work in Archaeobotany
See details of our Palaeogenomics facilities.
Our people
| Photo | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
 |
Dr Nathan Wales
|
Lecturer in Archaeological Science |
 |
Dr Sophy Charlton
|
Lecturer in Bioarchaeology |
 |
Dr Samantha Presslee
|
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:
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.
Related links
Find out about our work in Archaeobotany
See details of our Palaeogenomics facilities.