Ancient DNA unlocks clues to modern ancestry in major Harvard-led study

Boston: Scientists are turning thousands of years of human history into a genetic map of the present. A team led by researchers at Harvard Medical School has compared 15,836 ancient DNA sequences from across Western Eurasia with the genomes of 6,438 people living in the same regions today.

Western Eurasia covers Europe, Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Iran. By sequencing DNA from skeletal remains left behind thousands of years ago, the researchers tracked how populations moved, mixed, and evolved over time.

The scale of the comparison is among the largest to date, giving new insight into how ancient migrations continue to shape modern genetic diversity. The study helps connect present-day communities to deep ancestral roots and provides a clearer picture of shared history across continents.

Findings from the analysis are expected to inform fields ranging from population genetics to medicine, where understanding ancestry can improve research on disease risk and human biology.