Matthias Meyer

quick analysis of sedimentary ancient DNA using quicksand

quicksand is a Nextflow pipeline for rapid and accurate taxonomic classification of sedaDNA mtDNA, achieving comparable accuracy to existing methods with reduced runtime.

A high-coverage genome from a 200,000-year-old Denisovan

This paper presents a second high-quality Denisovan genome from a 200,000-year-old molar, revealing genetic contributions from multiple Denisovan groups and refining the Denisovan genetic lineage.

Ancient genomes from the last three millennia support multiple human dispersals into Wallacea

The paper analyzes ancient genomes from Wallacea to show multiple human dispersals, with southern islands showing earlier Asian contributions than previously thought.

A systematic investigation of human DNA preservation in medieval skeletons

This study evaluates DNA preservation in ten skeletal elements from Medieval Germany, confirming the petrous pyramid as the best source and identifying seven alternative locations for aDNA extraction.

Mining ancient microbiomes using selective enrichment of damaged DNA molecules

The paper develops a method to enrich for damaged DNA molecules in ancient samples to better identify authentic microbial taxa.

A high-coverage Neandertal genome from Chagyrskaya Cave

The paper reports a high-coverage Neandertal genome from Chagyrskaya Cave, revealing genetic features unique to Neandertals and population structure insights.

Genomic and dietary transitions during the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic in Sicily

Genome-wide and isotopic data from prehistoric Sicilians reveal a pre-farming connection to (south-) eastern Europe, and tentative initial evidence that hunter-gatherers adopted some Neolithic aspects prior to near-total replacement by early farmers.

Harvesting information from ultra-short ancient DNA sequences

The paper develops a method to reduce spurious alignments in ancient DNA sequences, increasing usable data from degraded samples and placing a third specimen on the Neandertal lineage.

Long-term balancing selection in LAD1 maintains a missense trans-species polymorphism in humans, chimpanzees and bonobos

Massive migration from the steppe is a source for Indo-European languages in Europe

The paper analyzes ancient DNA data from 69 Europeans to show that a massive migration from the steppe contributed to the genetic makeup of present-day Europeans and supports a steppe origin for some Indo-European languages.