Written in bone
Genetic data from ancient Europeans are rewriting the prehistory of the continent
KEEPING CLEAN When studying ancient specimens, researchers work in ultraclean rooms to avoid contaminating samples with DNA from modern people or the environment.
T. Hartmann/Paleogenetics Laboratory, Mainz, Germany
Carles Lalueza-Fox nearly missed an opportunity to paint the genetic portrait of a 7,000-year-old Spaniard.
In 2006, spelunkers stumbled across the ancient remains of two men in a cave in Spain’s Cantabrian mountain range.