Postdoc Torsten Günther and PhD student Thijessen Naidoo joined the group. Welcome!
Torsten Günther
Thijessen Naidoo
Latest news
- Publication: Beyond bones: how biomolecular archaeology is challenging the definition of ancient human remains and its ethical implicationsA new paper by Rita Peyroteo Stjerna and Mari Tõrv has been published in World Archaeology. Peyroteo-Stjerna, R., & Tõrv, M. (2026). Beyond bones: how biomolecular archaeology is challenging the definition of ancient human remains and its ethical implications. World Archaeology, 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2026.2632228 Abstract Technological advancements in the twenty-first century have profoundly transformed archaeological research.… Read more: Publication: Beyond bones: how biomolecular archaeology is challenging the definition of ancient human remains and its ethical implications
- Publication: Genetic relatedness mattered in the co-burial ritual of Neolithic hunter–gatherersMattila, T. M., Fraser, M., Koelman, J., Krzewińska, M., Ivarsson-Aalders, M., Götherström, A., Jakobsson, M., Storå, J., Günther, T., Wallin, P. & Malmström, H. (2026). Genetic relatedness mattered in the co-burial ritual of Neolithic hunter–gatherers. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 293(2065). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.0813 Abstract Kin relations among past societies can offer valuable information about… Read more: Publication: Genetic relatedness mattered in the co-burial ritual of Neolithic hunter–gatherers
- Mark Chernyshev was awarded the Marcus Borgström grant for human genetics researchThe 140,000 SEK grant will support detailed genetic analysis of ancient southern Africans who lived 10,200 to 1,400 years ago. This research will use computational methods to reconstruct how these populations changed over time, which is of particular interest because ancient southern Africans represent one of humanity’s earliest population splits (approximately 300,000 years ago) and harbour genetic variation not captured by existing datasets. Congratulations, Mark! M… Read more: Mark Chernyshev was awarded the Marcus Borgström grant for human genetics research
- New studentsRecently, Larena Lab gained two students who also work with Mariam and others in the Jakobsson Lab. Lisa Brus is a Master’s student. Her thesis work aims to optimise and implement a low-cost, in-house Tn5-based library preparation protocol for Illumina sequencing using samples from Asia-Pacific populations. Maria Laura Genchi is a visiting student, completing an Erasmus… Read more: New students
- Mariam reports from the Philippines fieldwork, Nov-Dec 2025Marian Omar Gómez travelled to the Philippines again in continuation of her PhD project. This time, she was joined for shorter periods by Armin Rassooli Tilehnovi (another PhD student at Human Evolution Program, Uppsala University), Max Larena, and Mattias Jakobsson. The three primary objectives were academic outreach, establishing a formal collaboration with the National Museum… Read more: Mariam reports from the Philippines fieldwork, Nov-Dec 2025