Ancestral Threads: Ancient DNA and the Weaving of Human History and Migration

Dear Colleagues,

We warmly invite you to submit your latest research to our forthcoming Special Issue, "Ancestral Threads: Ancient DNA and the Weaving of Human History and Migration," which aims to synthesize cutting-edge paleogenomic studies that trace and redefine the movement, adaptation, and social organization of past human populations.

The study of Ancient DNA (aDNA) has fundamentally transformed our understanding of human history, moving from a niche discipline to a pivotal force in archaeology, anthropology, and evolutionary science. aDNA acts as a direct genetic ledger, enabling us to trace the "ancestral threads" of past populations, identify admixture events, and, most critically, reconstruct the complex migratory networks that have shaped modern human biological and cultural diversity.

While much existing literature addresses human evolution and migration, studies are often geographically fragmented or rely heavily on modern DNA alone. This Special Issue will substantially advance the field by focusing on four key areas:

1. Biocultural Integration and Migration: Research that moves beyond correlation to explore the mechanisms of biocultural interaction, demonstrating how ancient DNA evidence of migration (population movement) relates to the spread of culture, technology, and linguistic shifts revealed by archaeological data.
2. Methodological Rigor in Paleogenomics: Studies emphasizing advanced bioinformatic and statistical modeling to extract robust demographic parameters (e.g., effective population size, admixture rates, timing of events) from ancient samples, thereby advancing methodological clarity in the field.
3. Paleo-Health and Pathogen Dynamics: Investigations utilizing aDNA to reconstruct the paleogenomics of ancient diseases (paleopathology), tracing the movement and evolution of human pathogens across migratory routes, and identifying genetic factors of resilience or susceptibility in past populations.
4. Kinship, Family Structure, and Social Organization: High-resolution aDNA analyses that resolve direct familial ties (kinship) within archaeological sites (cemeteries, settlements) to infer small-scale social organization, marriage practices, and community structure in the context of broader human migrations.

By focusing on how migratory events influenced genetic adaptation (e.g., to climate, diet, and ancient pathogens), this issue will offer a crucial genetic perspective that grounds broader anthropological theories in empirical data, thus advancing the current state of knowledge.

Submission Protocol:

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editors (spalomod@ucm.es) and to /Genealogy/ editorial office (genealogy@mdpi.com) and the Editor (fay.gao@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the special issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Dr. Sara Palomo-Díez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genealogy is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• ancient DNA (aDNA)
• paleogenomics
• human migration
• kinship
• paleopathology
• admixture
• biocultural interaction