UC Davis

Our study highlighted the critical role that DNA from contemporary Africans can play in understanding deep human history. By integrating the genetic data of a large number of contemporary individuals and groups, we can better anticipate and explain genetic variation in presentday individuals, allowing us to apply these models to health-related research concerns. There is clearly still much to be learnt by focusing on genetic data from contemporary individuals, especially when ancient DNA - crucial in revealing intriguing history and answering important concerns - may not exist for the relevant time periods, as is typically the case in Africa. Overall, our results contribute to a better understanding of human, and specifically African, population history and highlight the limitations of simplistic models, encouraging the re-evaluation of previous interpretations of genomic and fossil data.