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Ancient human DNA: A history of hype (then and now)
Journal of Social Archaeology ( IF 1.257 ) Pub Date : 2021-02-18 , DOI: 10.1177/1469605321990115
Elizabeth D Jones 1 , Elsbeth Bösl 2
Affiliation  

In this article on the history of ancient DNA research, we argue that the innovation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the early 2000s has ushered in a second hype cycle much like the first hype cycle the field experienced in the 1990s with the advent of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). While the first hype cycle centered around the search for the oldest DNA, the field’s current optimism today promotes the rhetoric of revolution surrounding the study of ancient human gnomes. This is evidenced from written sources and personal interviews with researchers who feel the vast amount of data, the conclusions being made from this data, and the ever-increasing celebrity status of the field are perhaps moving too fast for their own good. Here, we use the concept of contamination, in both a literal and figurative understanding of the term, to explore the field’s continuities and disparities. We also argue that a number of additional, figurative interpretations of “contamination” are useful for navigating the current debate between geneticists and archaeologists regarding the origin, evolution, and migration of ancient humans across space and time. Our historical outlook on aDNA’s disciplinary development, we suggest, is necessary to accurately appreciate the state of the field, how it came to be, and where it might go in the future.



中文翻译:

古代人类DNA:炒作的历史(从那时到现在)

在这篇有关古代DNA研究历史的文章中,我们认为2000年代初的下一代测序(NGS)的创新迎来了第二次炒作周期,就像1990年代随着该领域的出现而经历的第一次炒作周期一样聚合酶链反应(PCR)的检测。虽然第一个炒作周期以寻找最古老的DNA为中心,但如今该领域的乐观情绪推动了围绕古代人类侏儒研究的革命性言论。这可以从书面资料和对研究人员的个人采访中得到证明,研究人员感到海量的数据,根据这些数据得出的结论,以及该领域不断增长的名人地位,可能对他们自己有利。在这里,我们在术语的字面意义和象征性理解中都使用了污染的概念,探索该领域的连续性和差异。我们还认为,“污染”的许多其他图形化解释对于在遗传学家和考古学家之间就古代人类在空间和时间上的起源,进化和迁移方面的当前争论进行导航很有用。我们建议,我们对aDNA学科发展的历史展望对于准确地了解该领域的现状,它的发展以及未来的发展是必要的。

更新日期:2021-02-19
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