The evolution of ethical standards in ancient DNA research has accelerated in recent years, driven in part by advocacy from Indigenous communities and in part by the development of explicit ethical guidelines by professional associations and research institutions.

The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance — which stand for Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics — provide a framework for thinking about how research involving Indigenous data, including ancient DNA, should center Indigenous community interests rather than treating research access as a default entitlement.

Researchers working with the Lagoa Santa material have engaged with these ethical questions to varying degrees.

Some studies have been conducted with explicit attention to community relationships and with efforts to engage relevant Brazilian Indigenous communities in the research.