Ancient DNA from Palaeoloxodon naumanni in Japan reveals early evolution of Eurasian Palaeoloxodon Palaeoloxodon, the extinct genus of straight-tusked elephants, originated in Africa and dispersed across Eurasia. We analyzed ancient mitochondrial DN…

Straight-tusked #elephants once roamed across #Eurasia, but one lineage became stranded in Japan?! 🐘🧬 Ancient #mtDNA reveals Palaeoloxodon naumanni as an early-diverging lineage that survived in island isolation.
doi.org/10.1016/j.is...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #palaeogenetics #ancientDNA

Tracing 2500 years of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B diversity through ancient DNA First ancient HHV-6 genomes reveal 2500 years of phylogenetic continuity and provide insights into the endogenization of HHV-6A.

It's #MetagenomicsMonday again! 🧬🧬🧬Ancient #HHV-6 #genomes revealed that modern HHV-6 diversity was already established centuries ago and that germline integrations stem from ancient founder events.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#SPAAM #aDNA #sixthdisease #roseola #pathogens #viruses #evolution

SPAAM Blog Post Competition · SPAAM Community Standards, Precautions, and Advances in Ancient Metagenomics

📢 A gentle REMINDER from the #SPAAM Steering Committee! 🚨 The deadline for the #Blog Post #Competition is approaching (16 March) 📝. We are looking forward to receiving your submissions! :)
www.spaam-community.org/news/2025/11...
#ancientDNA #metagenomics #palaeogenomics #science #communication

Ancient DNA sheds light on the historical distribution of the rare and ephemeral plant Coleanthus subtilis in Southern Siberia - BMC Genomics Background Ancient DNA is a valuable source of information about the distant past of our planet. Reconstructing the past ecosystems is essential for understanding many aspects of life in the steppes…

Ancient DNA 🧬 from a 1,700-year-old Tashtyk funerary mannequin reveals lost plant biodiversity 🌾in southern Siberia, highlighting the conservation value of this UNESCO-listed region.
doi.org/10.1186/s128...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #conservation #ecology #biodiversity

Revisiting the dispersal history of walnut by analyzing the ancient DNA of walnut remains in Xinjiang, China Persian walnut is an important crop with a disputed history of domestication origins and dispersal. Xinjiang, a key hub in East-West exchanges, was se…

Ancient walnuts 🌰 tell a Silk Road story! Genome-wide data 🧬 from Tang Dynasty Xinjiang walnuts reveal a transitional genetic stage linking Central Asia and China in a new study published in Cell Reports.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #ancientDNA #silkroad #paleobotany

Recovering Mycobacterium tuberculosis 🦠 from ancient samples is notoriously difficult. But, in this new study, the elusive M. tuberculosis DNA was detected in five individuals from medieval Ireland.
doi.org/10.1016/j.tu...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #paleogenomics #tuberculosis #TB #pathogen

SPAAM Blog Post Competition · SPAAM Community Standards, Precautions, and Advances in Ancient Metagenomics

🚨 Dear SPAAM Community, we are extending the deadline for the Blog Post Competition 📝. The new date is March 16th 2026! We have received some exciting submissions. 📢 Keep it coming!
www.spaam-community.org/news/2025/11...
#aDNA #SPAAM #sciencecommunication #blog #ancientDNA #paleogenetics

The dispersal of domestic cats from North Africa to Europe around 2000 years ago The domestic cat (Felis catus) descends from the African wildcat Felis lybica lybica. Its global distribution alongside humans testifies to its successful adaptation to anthropogenic environments.…

How and when did domestic cats conquer the world? 🐈 The aDNA study recently published in Science tells a fascinating story about the human-mediated dispersal of our purring furry friends.
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #paleogenomics #cats #zooarcheology #domestication

Population structure and inter-species admixture within a likely extinct yet formerly widespread Hawaiian honeycreeper Abstract. The Hawaiian honeycreepers simultaneously represent one of the most spectacular avian adaptive radiations and are one of the most endangered avia

Check out this new paper on the inter-species admixture 🧬 within an extinct and yummy-sounding avian species 🦜 - the honeycreeper! 🍯
doi.org/10.1098/rsbl...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #paleogenomics #museumscience #avian #honeycreeper

SPAAM Newsletter #8 Hello from the SPAAM Steering Committee in the New Year 2026!

We are excited to share with you the latest SPAAM Newsletter!
Inside, you’ll find: announcements, opportunities and publication highlights.
www.spaam-community.org/assets/media...
We hope you enjoy this edition!
#SPAAM #aDNA #Newsletter #paleogenomics #metagenomics

Ancient DNA of the Toronto Subway Deer adds to the extinction list of ice age megafauna Abstract. The Late Pleistocene was a time of global megafaunal extinctions that were particularly severe in North America. The continent lost many mammal t

Starting 2026 strong with the first #MetagenomicsMonday 🧬post this year! Its 1976, deer remains are found in a Toronto subway and its antlers look.. well, different! 🦌 Is it an extinct megafauna species that disappeared by the end of ice age?📄
doi.org/10.1098/rsbl...
#SPAAM #aDNA #paleogenomics

Paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever in 1812 Napoleon's devastated army During Napoleon’s retreat from Russia in 1812,1 countless soldiers of the French army succumbed to infectious diseases, but the responsible pathogen o…

What really devastated Napoleon’s army in 1812? ⚔️🧬 A new study uncovers DNA of previously unsuspected pathogens: Salmonella Paratyphi C and Borrelia recurrentis in the teeth of fallen soldiers.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #pathogens #fever #Napoleon

Detection of Clostridium sporogenes in a Roman-era cattle mass grave at Vilauba In the ancient Roman world, cattle played an integral role in daily agricultural tasks, providing the means necessary to plow fields, mill grains, and transport goods. The research presented here d...

aDNA from 14 Roman cattle uncovers Group I Clostridium related to toxigenic botulinum producers and an opportunistic Mycolicibacterium. 🐂🧬 Blind spot in ancient livestock health studies?
doi.org/10.1080/2150...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #bioarchaeology #pathogens

Targeted pathogen profiling of ancient feces reveals common enteric infections in the Rio Zape Valley, 725–920 CE DNA analysis of ancient, desiccated feces – termed paleofeces – can unlock insights into the lives of ancient peoples, including through examination of the gut microbiome and identification of…

What can ancient poop reveal about past health? 💩🧬 Paleofeces from 725–920 CE Mexico show multiple gut pathogens, including Blastocystis, Giardia, Entamoeba, and pathogenic E. coli. Enteric infections were likely common.
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #paleofeces #pathogens

Optimizing ancient DNA recovery from archaeological plant seeds - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Optimizing ancient DNA recovery from archaeological plant seeds

Recovering DNA from ancient plants is tough, but this new method makes it work! A new extraction workflow improves recovery of fragmented endogenous plant aDNA while preserving library complexity and read yield.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #archaeobotany

SPAAM Blog Post Competition · SPAAM Community Standards, Precautions, and Advances in Ancient Metagenomics

The SPAAM Community is thrilled to announce our first-ever blog post competition!
You will not only get a chance of having your post featured on the SPAAM website but also win a mystery book prize!
For more info and how to submit visit: www.spaam-community.org/news/2025/11...
#SPAAM #aDNA #contest

Temporal succession of bacterial and archaeal communities in a Mediterranean high-mountain lake over the last 430 years using sedimentary DNA - Microbial Ecology Despite the known influence of climate change on high-altitude ecosystems, the long-term response of prokaryotic communities in Mediterranean high-mountain lakes remains poorly understood. Here, we…

Ancient microbe DNA as a record of climate change 🦠🧬: mountain lake sedaDNA from the past 430 years reveals major microbial shifts since 1960, following climate shifts.
doi.org/10.1007/s002...
#MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #climate #change #metagenomics #sediment #sedaDNA #mountain #lake

How much do lab methods shape ancient microbiome results? 🧬 This study compares extraction & library prep protocols on dental calculus from Hungary and Niger, showing that no single workflow fits all. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #calculus #microbiome
doi.org/10.1111/1755...

Improving taxonomic inference from ancient environmental metagenomes by masking microbial-like regions in reference genomes Abstract. Ancient environmental DNA is increasingly vital for reconstructing past ecosystems, particularly when paleontological and archaeological tissue r

This new study takes a closer look at eukaryotic reference genomes. 🧬 By mapping microbial-like regions across thousands of plant & animal assemblies, it helps make ancient eDNA analyses more accurate. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #metagenomics #eDNA
doi.org/10.1093/giga...

Denisovan mitochondrial DNA from dental calculus of the >146,000-year-old Harbin cranium Denisovans have yet to be directly associated with a hominin cranium, limiting our understanding of their morphology and geographical distribution. We…

A new study links the Harbin cranium to Denisovans using DNA hidden in dental calculus. 🦷🧬 The mtDNA connects to Siberian lineages and suggests Denisovans spread widely across Pleistocene Asia. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #Denisovan #archaic #mtDNA #calculus
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...

Bone Adhered Sediments as a Source of Target and Environmental DNA and Proteins Abstract. In recent years, sediments from cave environments have provided invaluable insights into ancient hominids, as well as past fauna and flora. Unfor

In this new paper, researchers extended the sedaDNA analysis beyond cave sediments: bone-adhered deposits preserved human, microbial, plant & animal sequences. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #sedaDNA #metagenomics #cave #sediment

ISBA11 Debriefing · SPAAM Community Standards, Precautions, and Advances in Ancient Metagenomics

Did you miss the ISBA11? Or maybe you want to refresh your memories from the symposium? 🧬 SPAAM members gathered for a debriefing session to share our impressions and feedback on the ISBA conference program. Check it out!
www.spaam-community.org/blog/2025/10...
#SPAAM #ancientDNA #ISBA11 #aDNA

Ancient microbial DNA and proteins preserve in concretions covering human remains Archaeological remains covered with concretions, including human bones, are commonly found in certain areas and time periods of interest for understan…

A new study explores the secrets hidden in concretions coating ancient teeth. 🦷 The researchers found microbial & protein traces, but human DNA remains elusive… #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #proteomics #metagenomics
doi.org/10.1016/j.is...

Proteomics + aDNA from a Jerash mass grave recovered Y. pestis genomes in 5 individuals. 🧬 Near-identical strains confirm a single lineage outbreak & place First Pandemic Y. pestis DNA near its historical epicenter. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA #plague #proteomics
doi.org/10.3390/gene...

What affects aDNA recovery from dental calculus? 🦷📊 In 32 mammal species, library success (~74%) was possibly shaped by host diet. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA

Interested in the past of reef organisms and ecosystems? 🪸 Sign up for the 2026 International Coral Reef Symposium that will take place in Auckland, NZ. The abstract submissions are open until December. #aDNA #SPAAM #ecosystems #reef #coral #symposium

A 75,000-y-old Scandinavian Arctic cave deposit reveals past faunal diversity and paleoenvironment | PNAS During the last glacial period (~118 to 11.7 ka), the Arctic has been characterized by a major redistribution of flora and fauna as a consequence o...

What lived in Arctic Norway ~80,000 years ago? ❄️🦌 Ancient sediments from a cave reveal 46 taxa of mammals, birds & fish — a unique cold-adapted coastal ecosystem. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

Bronze Age Yersinia pestis genome from sheep sheds light on hosts and evolution of a prehistoric plague lineage Most human pathogens are of zoonotic origin. Many emerged during prehistory, coinciding with domestication providing more opportunities for spillover …

Did prehistoric sheep carry plague? 🐑🦠 A 3rd-millennium BCE Yersinia pestis genome from domesticated sheep links livestock to human infections in prehistory. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...

Ancient host-associated microbes obtained from mammoth remains Ancient genomic studies have extensively explored human-microbial interactions, yet research on non-human animals remains limited. In this study, we a…

What can a million-year-old mammoth teach us about microbes? 🦠 From pathogens to commensals, this new study reconstructs the oldest known host-associated microbial DNA. #MetagenomicsMonday #SPAAM #aDNA
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...

SPAAM Summer School (2025): Introduction to Ancient Metagenomics Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

Interested in learning more about how researchers analyze ancient DNA? Here you can find the free lectures from the SPAAM Summer School 2025 - Introduction to Ancient Metagenomics: tinyurl.com/3u9mhmd2
Slides: tinyurl.com/mkfrvru4
Feel free to ask questions in the comments!
#ancientDNA #SPAAM