Paleogenomic study of the Mexican past

Abstract

The discovery that DNA survives in archaeological remains revolutionized archaeology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, leading to the establishment of paleogenomics as a bona fide field of research (1). In the context of the Americas, paleogenomic researchers have used ancestral genomic information to reconstruct human history with exquisite detail. However, ethical concerns surrounding practices perceived as extractive and colonizing have sometimes overshadowed this endeavor (2). On page 598 of this issue, Villa-Islas et al. (3) set a standard for how paleogenomics can be conducted in an ethical and sustainable manner. They analyzed ancient DNA retrieved from 27 ancestral humans from eight archaeological sites in Mexico, providing insights into the demographic history of Indigenous populations in Central and North Mexico.