Opening Keynote

"The Challenges and Potential to Use Anthropological Collections for Archaeogenetic Studies"

Prof. Dr. Johannes Krause
Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie, Leipzig

Datum & Zeit

Mittwoch, 25. September 2024
9:45 Uhr

Ort

TU Dresden, Zeuner-Bau, Lichtenheldt-Hörsaal

Livestream per Zoom

https://tu-dresden.zoom-x.de/j/68193933334?pwd=qnniyvTBT0Tzq9c0HC4imhbbOjN0MN.1
Meeting ID: 681 9393 3334
Passcode: nrbM^60f

Inhalt [[nur auf Englisch verfügbar]]

Anthropological collections, encompassing skeletal remains and associated artifacts, represent invaluable repositories for archaeogenetic research, offering insights into past populations' genetic diversity, migration patterns, and evolutionary processes. However, utilizing these collections presents unique challenges. Provenance, preservation conditions, handling histories, and contamination from modern sources often complicate the retrieval of ancient DNA (aDNA). Moreover, ethical concerns regarding the repatriation of human remains, informed consent from descendant communities, and the destructive nature of DNA sampling demand careful consideration. Despite these challenges, recent advancements in aDNA extraction techniques and non-destructive sampling methods have significantly improved the feasibility of obtaining genetic material from even highly degraded samples. These innovations, combined with interdisciplinary collaboration among geneticists, anthropologists, and indigenous groups, underscore the potential of anthropological collections to contribute profoundly to archaeogenetics. Harnessing these collections requires balancing scientific objectives with ethical obligations, ensuring that research respects the cultural significance of human remains while advancing our understanding of the past.

Über Johannes Krause [[nur auf Englisch verfügbar]]

Johannes Krause (born 1980) is a native of Thuringia. In 2008 he received his Ph.D. in Genetics at the University of Leipzig. Subsequently, he worked at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, before he was appointed Professor for Archeology and Paleogenetics at the University of Tübingen, at the Institute for Archaeological Sciences. Johannes Krause focusses on the analysis of old to very old DNA using the DNA sequencing. His research interests include pathogens from historical epidemics, as well as human evolution. He also contributed to the deciphering of the genetic heritage of Neanderthals, and managed to prove that Neanderthals and modern humans share the same language gene ( FOXP2). In 2010 he discovered the first genetic evidence of the Denisovans, a stone-age primeval Homo species from Siberia. With his work on the evolution of historical infectious diseases, he was able to demonstrate that most of today's plague pathogen originated in the Middle Ages. From June 2014 Johannes Krause was Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human History in Jena, and in June 2020 he moved to the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. Amongst other he is member of the advisory board for the anthropological collection F. v. Luschan and R.Virchow, as well as a member of the Leopoldina Academy.