Eske Willerslev

The paper develops likelihood ratios for forensic DNA mixtures from shotgun sequencing data, showing they can be unreliable and proposing a combined evidence score to improve accuracy.

The paper identifies a plasmid, pTP33, unique to Second Pandemic Yersinia pestis strains, which may have increased transmission and mortality during that pandemic.

The paper investigates whether the spread of megaliths in Neolithic Europe was due to population movements or cultural diffusion, finding that both factors interacted through trade networks.

This study identifies the oldest known plague strains in Lake Baikal hunter-gatherers 5500 years ago, showing early outbreaks were lethal and challenged the idea that agriculture was necessary for plague epidemics.

The paper reassesses selection on height using GWAS and allele frequency data, finding positive selection at height-associated loci in Europe.

This study uses environmental DNA from Lake Tjornin to challenge the narrative of Norse-induced environmental collapse in Reykjavik, showing dynamic human-environment interactions shaped by both cultural practices and external stressors.

The paper identifies MKK3 haplotypes in barley that influence seed dormancy and end-use traits through post-domestication selection, linking them to climate adaptation.

This paper retrieves ancient enamel protein sequences from a 21-24 Ma rhinocerotid, providing new phylogenetic insights into Rhinocerotidae diversification during the middle Eocene-Oligocene.

This study uses ancient genomic data to test models of Celtic language spread, finding support for a Central European origin linked to the Urnfield culture.

The paper uses ancient DNA and strontium isotope analyses to show a deep east-west divergence in steppe ancestry in Southern Europe, supporting specific linguistic divergence models for Indo-European languages.

eProbe designs capture probes for aeDNA to improve genetic analysis by significantly increasing target taxa recovery and genome coverage.

This study evaluates DNA extraction methods from marine sediments, finding that lysis buffer choice significantly affects DNA recovery and fragment length, with EDTA and phosphate buffers performing best.

The paper traces the evolutionary history of the CCR5delta32 deletion using ancient and modern genomes, finding it originated at least 7,000 years ago in Western Eurasia and underwent positive selection.

This study evaluates the accuracy of genotype imputation for ancient genomes and finds it comparable to modern DNA, with some population-specific biases.

The paper analyzes genetic structure in Brittany and the Loire basin to understand Western Europe's demographic history, finding increased population differentiation linked to steppe and Neolithic ancestry.

This study analyzes ancient genomes from the Viking Age to understand genetic structure and migration patterns, finding significant foreign gene flow and population differentiation.

The paper identifies a human accelerated region in Chromosome 14q12 that enhances forebrain expansion through increased enhancer activity in transgenic mice and organoids.

This paper analyzes ancient genomes from northeastern Siberia to reveal complex population migrations and admixture events over the past 40,000 years.

The paper analyzes the genome of a Jomon individual to infer migration patterns into East Asia, finding multiple waves and a coastal route from Southeast Asia.

The paper tests methods to recover mitochondrial DNA from ancient Egyptian Sacred Ibis mummies and successfully reconstructs their first complete mitochondrial genomes.

This study uses Early Pleistocene dental enamel proteome sequences to resolve the phylogeny of Stephanorhinus, showing it is paraphyletic and requiring systematic revision.

The paper analyzes ancient genomes from the Pacific Northwest Coast to show genetic continuity over 10,000 years and population structure in the late Pleistocene.

The paper identifies targets of selection in the FADS region in Europeans, showing allele frequency changes linked to lipid-related phenotypes and dietary adaptations.

This study improves endogenous DNA recovery from ancient bones and teeth through optimized enzymatic pre-digestion, increasing endogenous DNA content by up to 14 times in teeth.

This study uses ancient population genomic techniques to trace the origin and evolution of maize in the American Southwest, identifying two diffusion routes and genetic adaptations to local environments.