As part of the 30th edition of the Fête de la Science 2021, Eva-Maria-Geigl, co-leader of the “Epigenome and Paleogenome” team at the Institut Jacques Monod, gave a lecture for the general public on the theme “The genetics of European settlement since the Ice Age”.
The study of DNA preserved in the fossils of individuals from the past has revolutionised the vision of the evolution of our species and the settlement of Europe. The history of Homo sapiens over the last 50,000 years in Europe and Asia, its encounter with Neanderthals, the adaptation to new environments, the transition from hunter-gatherer to farmer lifestyles have all left traces in the genomes of the individuals of the corresponding periods they witnessed. Through the analysis of these genomes, paleogenomics is increasingly tracing this history and thus contributing to a better understanding of ourselves.
