198
J. D. Wall
8.9
Conclusion
With more than 100,000 modern human genome sequences publicly available and
several hundred thousand more genome sequences already generated but not yet
public, we are entering a time when the amount of (modern human) genetic data
available for demographic inference is essentially unlimited. The computational,
statistical, and theoretical methods for dealing with these vast amounts of data are
still limited though, and we anticipate that advances on the methodological front
will lead to new insights into human demographic history in the coming decade.
Since human fossils are rare and appreciable amounts of ancient DNA from fossils
rarer still, it is difficult to predict what influence future ancient DNA studies will
have on human evolutionary studies. However, based on the results of the past few
years, it is safe to assume that occasional future fossil finds (with sufficient amounts
of endogenous DNA) will have a major influence on our understanding of human
history.
References
1000 Genomes Project Consortium (2010) A map of human genome variation from populationscale sequencing. Nature 467:1061–1073
1000 Genomes Project Consortium (2012) An integrated map of genetic variation from 1,092
human genomes. Nature 491:56–65
1000 Genomes Project Consortium (2015) A global reference for human genetic variation. Nature
526:68–74
Arbiza L, Gottipati S, Siepel A, Keinan A (2014) Contrasting X-linked and autosomal diversity
across 14 human populations. Am J Hum Genet 94:827–844
Ayala FJ (1995) The myth of Eve: molecular biology and human origins. Science 270:1930–1936
Baran Y, Pasaniuc B, Sankararaman S, Torgerson DG, Gignoux C, Eng C, Rodriguez-Cintron W,
Chapela R, Ford JG, Avila PC et al (2012) Fast and accurate inference of local ancestry in Latino
populations. Bioinformatics 28:1359–1367
Bennett EA, Crevecoeur I, Viola B, Derevianko AP, Shunkov MV, Grange T, Maureille B,
Geigl EM (2019) Morphology of the Denisovan phalanx closer to modern humans than to
Neanderthals. Sci Adv 5:eaaw3950
Bhaskar A, Wang YXR, Song YS (2015) Efficient inference of population size histories and locusspecific mutation rates from large-sample genomic variation data. Genome Res 25:268–279
Bramanti B, Thomas MG, Haak W, Unterlaender M, Jores P, Tambets K, Antanaitis-Jacobs I,
Haidle MN, Jankauskas R, Kind CJ et al (2009) Genetic discontinuity between local huntergatherers and central Europe’s first farmers. Science 326:137–140
Brauer G (1989) The evolution of modern humans: a comparison of the African and non-African
evidence. In: Mellars P, Stringer C (eds) The human revolution: behavioural and biological
perspectives on the origins of modern humans. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, pp 123–
154
Briggs AW, Good JM, Green RE, Krause J, Maricic T, Stenzel U, Lalueza-Fox C, Rudan P,
Brajkovic D, Kucan Z et al (2009) Targeted retrieval and analysis of five Neandertal mtDNA
genomes. Science 325(5938):318–321
Browning SR, Browning BL, Zhou Y, Tucci S, Akey JM (2018) Analysis of human sequence data
reveals two pulses of archaic Denisovan admixture. Cell 173:53–61
Brues AM (1954) Selection and polymorphism in the A-B-O blood groups. Am J Phys Anthropol
12:559–597
J. D. Wall
8.9
Conclusion
With more than 100,000 modern human genome sequences publicly available and
several hundred thousand more genome sequences already generated but not yet
public, we are entering a time when the amount of (modern human) genetic data
available for demographic inference is essentially unlimited. The computational,
statistical, and theoretical methods for dealing with these vast amounts of data are
still limited though, and we anticipate that advances on the methodological front
will lead to new insights into human demographic history in the coming decade.
Since human fossils are rare and appreciable amounts of ancient DNA from fossils
rarer still, it is difficult to predict what influence future ancient DNA studies will
have on human evolutionary studies. However, based on the results of the past few
years, it is safe to assume that occasional future fossil finds (with sufficient amounts
of endogenous DNA) will have a major influence on our understanding of human
history.
References
1000 Genomes Project Consortium (2010) A map of human genome variation from populationscale sequencing. Nature 467:1061–1073
1000 Genomes Project Consortium (2012) An integrated map of genetic variation from 1,092
human genomes. Nature 491:56–65
1000 Genomes Project Consortium (2015) A global reference for human genetic variation. Nature
526:68–74
Arbiza L, Gottipati S, Siepel A, Keinan A (2014) Contrasting X-linked and autosomal diversity
across 14 human populations. Am J Hum Genet 94:827–844
Ayala FJ (1995) The myth of Eve: molecular biology and human origins. Science 270:1930–1936
Baran Y, Pasaniuc B, Sankararaman S, Torgerson DG, Gignoux C, Eng C, Rodriguez-Cintron W,
Chapela R, Ford JG, Avila PC et al (2012) Fast and accurate inference of local ancestry in Latino
populations. Bioinformatics 28:1359–1367
Bennett EA, Crevecoeur I, Viola B, Derevianko AP, Shunkov MV, Grange T, Maureille B,
Geigl EM (2019) Morphology of the Denisovan phalanx closer to modern humans than to
Neanderthals. Sci Adv 5:eaaw3950
Bhaskar A, Wang YXR, Song YS (2015) Efficient inference of population size histories and locusspecific mutation rates from large-sample genomic variation data. Genome Res 25:268–279
Bramanti B, Thomas MG, Haak W, Unterlaender M, Jores P, Tambets K, Antanaitis-Jacobs I,
Haidle MN, Jankauskas R, Kind CJ et al (2009) Genetic discontinuity between local huntergatherers and central Europe’s first farmers. Science 326:137–140
Brauer G (1989) The evolution of modern humans: a comparison of the African and non-African
evidence. In: Mellars P, Stringer C (eds) The human revolution: behavioural and biological
perspectives on the origins of modern humans. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, pp 123–
154
Briggs AW, Good JM, Green RE, Krause J, Maricic T, Stenzel U, Lalueza-Fox C, Rudan P,
Brajkovic D, Kucan Z et al (2009) Targeted retrieval and analysis of five Neandertal mtDNA
genomes. Science 325(5938):318–321
Browning SR, Browning BL, Zhou Y, Tucci S, Akey JM (2018) Analysis of human sequence data
reveals two pulses of archaic Denisovan admixture. Cell 173:53–61
Brues AM (1954) Selection and polymorphism in the A-B-O blood groups. Am J Phys Anthropol
12:559–597