Michael V. Westbury

The paper compares phylogenomic inferences from reference mapping and whole-genome alignment across Ursidae species, finding comparable results despite sequence loss.

SCAR introduces controlled mutations, fragmentation, and damage to sequencing data for benchmarking analyses affected by these factors.

This study uses ancient DNA from Song Dynasty melon seeds to show they were likely consumed as fresh or culinary fruits, not sweet dessert melons, and supports their introduction from the Asian domestication pool.

This study reconstructs the genomic history of the extinct giant deer, revealing genetic vulnerabilities linked to its extinction.

This study identifies three genetically distinct bowhead whale populations and links past habitat connectivity to current genetic structure, showing high genetic diversity despite historical whaling.

This study uses fossil data and modeling to show that commercial whaling caused genetic diversity loss in bowhead whales, threatening their resilience to future climate change.

This study uses paleogenomic data to show that early pastoralist societies in the Atacama Desert used both domesticated and wild camelids, with evidence suggesting hunting rather than herding.

The paper investigates whether Andean caravans reached the southern lowlands of the Parana-Plata basin during pre-Columbian times using multidisciplinary methods and finds no evidence of llama presence.

This study uses paleogenomics and isotope analysis to examine 700 years of Inuvialuit beluga hunting, finding no significant genetic impact on contemporary beluga populations.

This study evaluates how mapping software, parameters, and bait references affect the accuracy of mitochondrial genome reconstruction from ancient DNA using iterative mapping.

SeXY is a sex identification pipeline that works with very low-coverage sequencing data without needing a conspecific sex-chromosome assembly, achieving 100% accuracy with as few as 1,000 mapped reads.

This study uses ancient DNA analysis to show that the extinct Camelus knoblochi had hybrid ancestry from wild and domesticated Bactrian camels, with ~65% from wild ancestors.