| Citation | Dr. Svante Pääbo is the founder of the field of molecular archaeology, i.e. the retrieval of DNA sequences from paleontological and archaeological remains. When still a graduate student in Sweden, he in 1985 demonstrated that DNA can survive in ancient Egyptian mummies. He went on to establish rigorous methods for the determination of DNA sequences from ancient remains. This made it possible for Dr. Pääbo to retrieve mitochondrial DNA sequences from the Neandertal type specimen in 1997. This was the first time that molecular genetic data was extracted from a fossil hominin. His meticulous analysis of the DNA sequences from this specimen showed that the Neandertals did not contribute mitochondrial DNA to the contemporary human gene pool.
The issue of Science 24 July 2015 vol 349 p358 is largely devoted to "Unlocking the Past: Ancient DNA comes of age." In several News Features and other contributions, including the journal cover, it is detailed how Paabo singlehandedly created this new field of research and the most recent major scientific advances on ancient DNA are described. |