Methodology deep-dives, population spotlights, and engineering notes from the Ancestrify team, qpAdm modelling, ancient DNA panels, and how genetic ancestry analysis really works.
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The method, for readers who want the maths: what qpAdm computes, what the p-value, standard error and z-score each mean, why outgroup choice decides whether a model is worth anything, and how to read a rejection — with a worked example.
A 2026 study of 102 Deep Maniots finds unusual paternal isolation, Bronze Age-linked lineages, medieval founder effects and diverse maternal ancestry.
qpAdm modeling shows modern Anatolian Turks carrying ancestry from Neolithic farmers, Yamnaya, and later Iron Age to medieval populations, reflecting a complex mix of local and incoming ancestries.
qpAdm modeling shows modern Balkan populations carry varying proportions of Neolithic farmer and Bronze Age steppe ancestry, reflecting long-term regional continuity.
Recent ancient DNA research provides the first comprehensive view of the Picenes (Picentes), an Iron Age population of Central Italy along the Middle Adriatic coast. This study sheds light on their paternal lineages, ancestral composition, and genetic relationships with neighboring populations.