Outreach + Highlights
The AGP laboratory conducts research on the diversity and biological evolution of human populations, with the main objective of reconstructing the history of world settlement since the origin of Homo sapiens.
Past human expansions shaped the spatial pattern of Neanderthal ancestry
The worldwide expansion of modern humans (Homo sapiens) started before the extinction of Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). This study shows that inferences about past human population dynamics can be made from the spatiotemporal variation in archaic introgression.
Population designations in biomedical research: Limitations and perspectives
In biomedical research, population differences are of central interest. Variations in the frequency and severity of diseases and in treatment effects among human subpopulation groups are common in many medical conditions.
Ancient mitochondrial diversity in Neolithic Greece and along the Danubian expansion axis
This study investigates mitochondrial diversity in Neolithic Greece and its relation to hunter-gatherers and farmers who populated the Danubian Neolithic expansion axis.
Spatially explicit paleogenomic simulations support cohabitation with limited admixture between Bronze Age Central European populations
Spatially explicit simulations of population dynamics combined with palaeogenomic data support the cohabitation of pastoralist and agriculturalist populations in Central Europe during the Bronze Age, with limited gene flow between them and a demographic decline after their initial contact.
Binding affinities of 438 HLA proteins to complete proteomes of seven pandemic viruses and distributions of strongest and weakest HLA peptide binders in populations worldwide
The main function of HLA class I molecules is to present pathogen-derived peptides to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. This function is assumed to drive the maintenance of an extraordinary amount of polymorphism at each HLA locus, providing an immune advantage to heterozygote individuals capable to present larger repertories of peptides than homozygotes.
The wings of a “genetic bird” protect us against viruses
UNIGE researchers have demonstrated that every population can protect itself against a broad range of viruses thanks to the two most diverse HLA immune genes in humans.
Harmonizing hybridization dissonance in conservation
A dramatic increase in the hybridization between historically allopatric species has been induced by human activities. Our article proposes a novel view of conservation guidelines, in which human-induced hybridization may also be a tool to enhance the likelihood of adaptation to changing environmental conditions or to increase the genetic diversity of taxa affected by inbreeding depression.
Christelle Vangenot, Médéric Mouterde, Alicia Sanchez-Mazas et Estella Poloni ont fait la couverture du journal “G3” : la maîtrise du feu a-t-elle influencé la diversité génomique humaine ?
Cette hypothèse est avancée dans une étude récente qui a mis en évidence une évolution divergente entre l’humain et le chimpanzé dans une petite famille de gènes impliqués dans la détoxification des molécules produites lors de la combustion de matières organiques.
Hybridization and introgression during density-dependent range expansion: European wildcats as a case study
Hybridization models during range expansion have been developed but assume dispersal to be independent from neighboring population densities.
Bayesian estimation of partial population continuity using ancient DNA and spatially explicit simulations
We present a new spatially explicit computer simulation approach to estimate partial population continuity through time using ancient DNA.