The Senckenberg Center And The Global Network

The institutional context of the 2025 research reflects the increasingly international and collaborative character of ancient genomics as a scientific practice.

The Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, where first author Kim-Louise Krettek is based, is one of the world’s leading institutions for ancient genomic research.

Part of the broader Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung — a major German natural history research organization — the center combines expertise in ancient DNA laboratory work with computational population genetics and has been involved in landmark ancient genomics studies across multiple continents.

Cosimo Posth, the senior author, leads research at the center and has contributed to key papers on the peopling of the Americas, the population history of Europe, and other major questions in ancient human genomics.