"Unveiling Humanity's Origins: Insights from Ancient Genomes"

In a commentary for the 50th anniversary issue of Cell, researchers Fu Qiaomei and E. Andrew Bennett from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology discussed the contribution of paleogenomics to understanding the evolution of modern humans. They highlighted the direct and indirect approaches of studying ancient DNA to identify genetic changes and reconstruct the life history of archaic and early modern human populations. The authors reviewed studies that revealed differences between early modern humans and archaic populations, suggesting that population-level advantages and adaptations to local environments may have contributed to the success and expansion of modern human populations. The commentary integrates the latest findings from ancient DNA with those from paleoanthropology and archaeology, expanding and updating the discussion of human origins.