Photo courtesy of Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann
DNA analysis has many applications – in medical and pharmaceutical research, in forensic science, in genetics, in establishing blood relationships – as well as in research into the history of the human race.
This site will deal with this last application: the way in which DNA analyses from ancient skeletal material and living populations, along with input from other fields, can be used to chart the history of homo sapiens as well as our close relatives the Neanderthals and Denisovans.
Bear in mind, however, that this branch of science is relatively recent. New discoveries may give rise to a completely new story. New findings will be summarized under the ‘News’ section.