We are a group of archaeologists, anthropologists, curators and geneticists representing diverse global communities and 31 countries. All of us met in a virtual workshop dedicated to ethics in... Show moreWe are a group of archaeologists, anthropologists, curators and geneticists representing diverse global communities and 31 countries. All of us met in a virtual workshop dedicated to ethics in ancient DNA research held in November 2020. There was widespread agreement that globally applicable ethical guidelines are needed, but that recent recommendations grounded in discussion about research on human remains from North America are not always generalizable worldwide. Here we propose the following globally applicable guidelines, taking into consideration diverse contexts. These hold that: (1) researchers must ensure that all regulations were followed in the places where they work and from which the human remains derived; (2) researchers must prepare a detailed plan prior to beginning any study; (3) researchers must minimize damage to human remains; (4) researchers must ensure that data are made available following publication to allow critical re-examination of scientific findings; and (5) researchers must engage with other stakeholders from the beginning of a study and ensure respect and sensitivity to stakeholder perspectives. We commit to adhering to these guidelines and expect they will promote a high ethical standard in DNA research on human remains going forward.In this Perspective, a group representing a range of stakeholders makes the case for a set of five proposed globally applicable ethical guidelines for ancient human DNA research. Show less
Nous sommes un groupe d'archéologues, d’anthropologues, de conservateurs et de généticiens de différentes origines et représentant 31 pays. Nous nous sommes rencontrés en novembre 2020 lors d'une... Show moreNous sommes un groupe d'archéologues, d’anthropologues, de conservateurs et de généticiens de différentes origines et représentant 31 pays. Nous nous sommes rencontrés en novembre 2020 lors d'une table ronde en ligne dédiée à l'éthique de la recherche d’ADN ancien. Nous avons alors convenu de la nécessité de lignes directrices éthiques applicables à l'échelle mondiale. Les recommandations publiées récemment et développées dans le cadre de recherches d’ADN sur des vestiges humains d’Amérique du Nord ne s’avèrent pas généralisables à d’autres régions du monde. Suite à l’analyse de divers contextes, nous proposons ici des lignes directrices que nous pensons être applicables partout dans le monde. Ces lignes directrices sont les suivantes : 1) les chercheurs doivent s'assurer que les règlements s’appliquant dans les lieux où ils travaillent ainsi que dans les lieux d’où proviennent les vestiges humains sont bien respectés ; 2) les chercheurs doivent préparer un programme de recherche détaillé avant de commencer toute étude ; 3) les chercheurs doivent minimiser les dommages causés aux vestiges humains ; 4) les chercheurs doivent s'assurer que les données seront disponibles après la publication pour permettre un réexamen critique des résultats scientifiques; et 5) les chercheurs doivent échanger avec toutes les parties impliquées dès le début de l’étude et respecter leurs points de vue. Nous nous engageons à respecter ces directives et nous souhaitons qu’elles contribuent au renforcement de la pratique éthique de notre champ de recherche. Show less
Braadbaart, F.; Reidsma, F.H.; Roebroeks, W.; Chiotti, L.; Slon, V.; Meyer, M.; ... ; Marquer, L. 2020
Little is known about the population history of Neandertals over the hundreds of thousands of years of their existence. We retrieved nuclear genomic sequences from two Neandertals, one from... Show moreLittle is known about the population history of Neandertals over the hundreds of thousands of years of their existence. We retrieved nuclear genomic sequences from two Neandertals, one from Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave in Germany and the other from Scladina Cave in Belgium, who lived around 120,000 years ago. Despite the deeply divergent mitochondrial lineage present in the former individual, both Neandertals are genetically closer to later Neandertals from Europe than to a roughly contemporaneous individual from Siberia. That the Hohlenstein-Stadel and Scladina individuals lived around the time of their most recent common ancestor with later Neandertals suggests that all later Neandertals trace at least part of their ancestry back to these early European Neandertals. Show less
Slon, V.; Hopfe, C.; Weiss, C.L; Mafessoni, F.; Rasilla, M. de la; Lalueza-Fox, C.; ... ; Meyer, M. 2017
Although a rich record of Pleistocene human-associated archaeological assemblages exists, the scarcity of hominin fossils often impedes the understanding of which hominins occupied a site. Using... Show moreAlthough a rich record of Pleistocene human-associated archaeological assemblages exists, the scarcity of hominin fossils often impedes the understanding of which hominins occupied a site. Using targeted enrichment of mitochondrial DNA, we show that cave sediments represent a rich source of ancient mammalian DNA that often includes traces of hominin DNA, even at sites and in layers where no hominin remains have been discovered. By automation-assisted screening of numerous sediment samples, we detected Neandertal DNA in eight archaeological layers from four caves in Eurasia. In Denisova Cave, we retrieved Denisovan DNA in a Middle Pleistocene layer near the bottom of the stratigraphy. Our work opens the possibility of detecting the presence of hominin groups at sites and in areas where no skeletal remains are found. Show less
