An ancient DNA "revolution" in Africa: blending archaeology & genetics to learn about the human past

Mary Prendergast is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Rice University. Her archaeological fieldwork centers in present-day Kenya and Tanzania, where herding of cattle, sheep, and goat has been central to the lives of people over millennia. She seeks to understand the challenges ancient livestock herders faced in new environments, and how people built resilience to climate change in the past. Her most recent work has focused on the emergence of ancient DNA analysis as a method of studying the past in Africa. This has led to studies of the genetic histories of African hunter-gatherers, and the genetic legacies of the spreads of herding and farming. Her work has stressed the importance of ethical standards in this research, and in developing meaningful collaborations with museum curators and community groups.