Abstract:

Next-generation sequencing data has transformed the biological sciences, allowing us to address research questions that previously were considered intractable. In this talk I will discuss a number of collaborative projects aimed at elucidating human evolutionary history using such data. In a series of projects we have worked on the peopling of Americas using a combination of modern and ancient DNA samples. We show that modern native Americans are descendants in part from individuals with South Siberian ancestry and in parts from individuals with genetic affinity to East Asians. In another set of projects we have worked on understanding the genetic causes of altitude adaptation of people in Tibet and Ethiopia. I will also discuss some of the methodological challenges associated with the application of next-generation sequencing data in evolutionary genomics.

Host: Robert Wayne

Refreshments will be served at 11:40 a.m.

To learn more: http://www.environment.ucla.edu/events/event.php?event=179