Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA as a Window into Human History and Biology

David Reich examines how sequencing DNA from ancient human remains has changed the reconstruction of population history. Genetic evidence from past cultures can reveal relationships and movements that are difficult to infer from living populations alone, sometimes challenging interpretations based on archaeology, language and written history. The lecture explores what these discoveries imply for understanding shared and complex human ancestries, and how knowledge of the past could inform the study of human health. A discussion with Carl Zimmer connects the research to the interpretation and communication of evidence about human history. The programme extends the paleogenomic research associated with the 2022 medicine prize through recent work on ancient and modern human DNA.