Sustainable Development Goals at Baku State University.

The next session of the scientific seminar series organized by the Archaeology Research and Training Center of Baku State University (BSU) was dedicated to the topic “paleogenomics: methodology for studying human origins.”

At the seminar, research fellow Mahruza Yusifli delivered a comprehensive presentation. The speaker provided information on modern research methods, ranging from the extraction of ancient DNA (aDNA) to bioinformatic analysis, as well as recent achievements in the field. It was noted that paleogenomics has emerged as a multidisciplinary field combining paleontology, genomics, and related sciences. Although the foundations of the field were laid in 1984 with the first molecular results obtained from the extinct quagga zebra, a major breakthrough occurred with the research of Svante Pääbo and the discovery of the Denisovan human in 2010.

During the seminar, attention was given to methods of preserving and extracting endogenous ancient DNA from archaeological remains, particularly from petrous bones and teeth. It was emphasized that paleogenomics enables the study not only of the physical characteristics of ancient humans but also of their genetic structure and evolutionary history. One of the key challenges highlighted was the risk of contamination with modern DNA, making laboratory conditions and methodological approaches critically important.

The seminar also addressed the role of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and bioinformatic analyses in studying human migrations, ancient epidemics, and the social structures of past societies. Ethical considerations in the destructive analysis of archaeological materials were also discussed.

The event continued with discussions on the topic.

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