Prof. Ainash Childebayeva, University of Texas at Austin
Abstract:
The field of ancient DNA has revolutionized the study of human past and evolutionary genetics, offering new insights into past migrations and population interactions. Central Eurasia, a region bridging Europe and Asia, has seen several waves of human migrations, which have been a focus of genetic, archaeological, linguistic, and historical research.
This study investigates the genetics of individuals from Central Eurasia across diverse archaeological contexts, spanning from the Bronze Age to the Medieval period. Previous research has identified major ancestry shifts linked to ancient migrations and interactions between previously isolated populations. Using IBO-based methods, this work further refines these findings, contributing to a deeper understanding of the region’s demographic history in relation to archaeological evidence and potential selective pressures over time.
Dr. Ainash Childebayeva is an Assistant Professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and Toxicology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she investigated the genetics and epigenetics of high-altitude adaptation in the Andes. Her postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, focused on the ancient DNA history of Eurasia, including Europe and Central Asia. Dr. Childebayeva’s current work examines the evolutionary history of Central Eurasia, addressing questions of migration, admixture, population interactions, human adaptation, and epigenetics. She also continues to research high-altitude adaptation in the Andes, as well as the effects of stress and trauma on the epigenome.
Thursday, March 27th
3:00 – 4:30 pm ET
Tozzer Anthropology Building, Room 203
21 Divinity Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138