Recent focus on ancestral genomics reveals curiosity about our identities

We are in the midst of a vast rethinking of our place in history. Whether it be Sathnam Sanghera's 'Empireland' or Reni Eddo-Lodge's 'Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race' dominating the bestseller lists, or discussions by schools and universities of 'decolonising' the curriculum, we are learning that history that has been written by the victors comes under far stronger scrutiny when greater insight is applied. And most interestingly, it may be that, socially, this is a transition that we are not averse to.

This may explain why the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine this year was awarded to the Swedish geneticist Professor Svante Paabo, 'for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution' (see BioNews 1162). In essentially founding the field of palaeogenomics, Professor Paabo's research has led to the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010, the discovery of a new species of humans through a single finger bone found in a Siberian cave, and the application of these discoveries to map out human migratory patterns and identify the driving forces in the evolution behind a variety of human characteristics.

In applying an analytical approach to investigating human history, Professor Paabo has arguably done more than anybody to transform the way in which we view ourselves, whether it be the consequences of the numerous migrations out of Africa, or the scale of interbreeding across human species.

'The fact that a good fraction of the people running around in the world today have DNA from archaic humans like Neanderthals is of important consequence to who we are', his colleague Professor David Reich told Nature after the announcement of Professor Paabo's Nobel Prize. 'So I think that knowing that and trying to understand the implications of that for our health is something that will be with us for the rest of our time as a species.'

However, it isn't necessary to return to prehistoric times to see the potential insight provided by research into the genetics of old human remains. Recent study of human remains found in Norwich showed that the victims, consisting of 17 individuals and 11 children, showed genetic ancestries similar to those of modern Ashkenazi Jews, and were likely the victims of an antisemitic violent attack, known as a pogrom, which took place around the late 12th and early 13th century (see BioNews 1157).

The fact that the victims, who have since been named 'the Chapelfield individuals', are genetically associated with the modern Ashkenazi population raises huge questions about the history of Jews in England and the UK. Most of the genetic features found in the victims were estimated to have occurred following a 'bottleneck event' around 500-800 years ago. A bottleneck event occurs when the size of a community decreases substantially, therefore causing certain persisting features to become more prevalent. However, these findings suggest the genetic features arose in this community earlier than that, before the pogrom.

However, it also brings the historically horrific treatment of Jews in England to the forefront of our conversations. Many of the pogroms occurring during this period can be associated with the so-called 'blood libel', an ancient antisemitic conspiracy theory which accuses Jews of murdering Christian children for their blood. While this dangerous idea has morphed and evolved over the centuries, including manifesting in modern times within political movements such as QAnon, it is suggested that this antisemitic myth actually originated in England during the time of the murder of the Chapelfield individuals, specifically concerning the death of William of Norwich in 1144.

We have also collectively demonstrated our willingness to investigate our backgrounds and ancestries using genetics, for better or for worse. The genetic testing company 23andMe, who provide bespoke ancestry reports based on genetic data and have over 12 million customers worldwide, have introduced a 50 percent discount on their health and ancestry kits this holiday season. And this doesn't include AncestryDNA, Findmypast, and other companies to whom people willingly hand over their genetic data, as well as a handsome sum of money, with the purpose of further uncovering 'who they are'. While interpreting these results as providing information about your own family tree has its drawbacks, it does not negate the warm feeling gained by the idea that something about you, which was previously unknown, has been discovered in a scientific way.

What developments like this suggest is that the study of ancient genomes provides a new source of data which can be applied to examine our collective histories, and a particularly unique one given that, like much of science, its biases and margins of error are well-defined. It is possible that the benefits of this paradigm shift are sullied by stories obsessing over university reading lists or critical race theory in American schools, but it is one that, if our conversations are anything to go by, we are generally keen about. If genetics can be incorporated into the way we think about history, there may be many more fascinating developments on the horizon.