100,000 years ago there were at least 6 different types of human groups roaming the earth. Today only homo sapiens remain. However these extinct groups are not completely gone – because our ancestors interbred with them. Thus their DNA survives in us today.
I wish to understand the evolutionary history of extinct human populations such as Neanderthals and Denisovans through the introgressed segments which still exist in present-day humans. I have 3 main research focuses.
Research focus 1: What is the population history of archaic humans?
The first part of the proposal will establish how many archaic human groups contributed
to our genomes. I will infer key parameters of their evolutionary history such as
mutation rate, generation time, admixture history with other archaic humans, historic
population size and selective forces which shaped their genome. I will investigate how
many times they encountered modern humans, how long they coexisted with modern
humans and where they interacted with modern humans.
Research focus 2: How did archaic humans shape our genome?
The second research focus will establish how the introgressed DNA from archaic
humans shaped our genomes. Specifically, I will study how introgressed variation
shaped a diverse set of worldwide human populations. Leveraging genotype-phenotype
associations in modern humans, I will investigate the phenotypes that may have existed
in archaic populations, in particular morphological and behavioral traits.
Research focus 3: Which parts of the genome resist introgression?
I will determine what pieces of archaic DNA were beneficial and which were detrimental
to modern human groups. Furthermore I will determine if these are the same regions
that are never exchanged between other archaic groups when they interbred.