Anthropology.netApr 14
The petrous bone holds the best ancient DNA in the body and paleogenomics is consuming it at a remarkable pace. A new study from Argentina finds CT scanning doesn’t compromise aDNA quality, making the case for imaging before any destructive analysis. #AncientDNA #Bioarchaeology #Paleogenomics https://www.anthropology.net/p/scan-before-you-sample-micro-ct-imaging
Scan Before You Sample: Micro-CT Imaging, Ancient DNA, and the Ethics of the Petrous Bone

A new study from Argentina finds that CT scanning doesn’t damage ancient DNA, making the case for digital preservation before destructive analysis.

Anthropology.net
Stephan HackerMar 17

Insightful presentation by Pierre Stallforth at #Biochemistry2026. He talked about their hunt for new natural products from unusual sources including those produced during amoebal predation of bacteria and those identified in ancient samples.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5c17955
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jacs.5c14335
#Biochemistry #ChemBio #Chemistry #NaturalProducts #Paleogenomics
CC: @gdch, @GDCh_BioChem

Anthropology.netFeb 27
A new study flips what we thought we knew about Neanderthal-human interbreeding. It wasn’t random, and it wasn’t balanced. The X chromosome tells a strange, specific story. #HumanEvolution #Neanderthals #Paleogenomics https://www.anthropology.net/p/the-x-chromosome-that-rewrote-what
The X Chromosome That Rewrote What We Know About Neanderthal Sex

A new study finds the interbreeding between our species was not random — and the pattern written into ancient DNA is strange enough to demand explanation.

Anthropology.net
SPAAM-communityFeb 13

🚨 Save the Date!

We’re thrilled to announce #SPAAM8 – a gathering of experts in ancient metagenomics research! 🌎

📅 When: June 22nd 2026
📍Where: Stockholm, Sweden 🇸🇪 (and online)
Stay tuned for updates and registration details!

#metagenomics #SPAAM #aDNA #paleogenomics

SPAAM-communityFeb 9
Recovering Mycobacterium tuberculosis 🦠 from ancient samples is notoriously difficult. But, in this new study, the elusive M. tuberculosis DNA was detected in five individuals from medieval Ireland - the first molecular evidence of TB in the region.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tube.2025.102710
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #paleogenomics #tuberculosis #TB #pathogen #genomics
SPAAM-communityFeb 2
The Altai wasn’t just home to Denisovans. 🏔️🧬Ancient DNA revealed unexpected bovine diversity 🦬, including a mysterious yak-like lineage (yak "X") now seemingly lost to time.
https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/17/11/evaf206/8315343
#MetagenomicsMonday #ancientDNA #aDNA #paleogenomics #zooarchaeology #denisovacave #altai #yak
Anthropology.netJan 29
Ancient DNA from an Ice Age burial in Italy reveals a mother and daughter linked by a rare growth disorder, marking the earliest genetic diagnosis in humans and offering new evidence for care of disabled individuals in prehistory. #Paleogenomics #Archaeology #HumanEvolution https://www.anthropology.net/p/the-short-bones-that-spoke-diagnosing
The Short Bones That Spoke: Diagnosing a Rare Genetic Disorder in a 12,000-Year-Old Family

Ancient DNA and clinical genetics converge on a mother and daughter buried in Ice Age Italy, revealing the earliest confirmed case of a rare growth disorder and a quiet story of care in prehistory.

Anthropology.net
SPAAM-communityJan 26
How and when did domestic cats conquer the world? 🐈 The aDNA study recently published in Science tells a fascinating story about the human-mediated dispersal of our purring furry friends.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt2642
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #paleogenomics #cats #zooarcheology #domestication
SPAAM-communityJan 23
REMINDER 🚨🚨🚨 The SPAAM Community is thrilled to announce our first-ever blog post
competition!
You will not only get a chance of having your post featured on the SPAAM website
but also win a mystery book prize!
For more info and how to submit visit:
https://www.spaam-community.org/news/2025/11/25/blog-post-competition/
#SPAAM #aDNA #writingcontest #sciencecommunication #paleogenomics
SPAAM Blog Post Competition · SPAAM Community

SPAAM-communityJan 19
Check out this new paper on the inter-species admixture 🧬 within an extinct and yummy-sounding avian species 🦜 - the honeycreeper! 🍯
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2025.0265
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #paleogenomics #museumscience #avian #honeycreeper
Population structure and inter-species admixture within a likely extinct yet formerly widespread Hawaiian honeycreeper

Abstract. The Hawaiian honeycreepers simultaneously represent one of the most spectacular avian adaptive radiations and are one of the most endangered avia

The Royal Society