Abstract

Archaeology, palaeoanthropology and linguistics have provided valuable insights into human history. However, over the last two decades, fuelled by the advent of improved sequencing technologies, the study of the diversity of the human genome has greatly increased our understanding of the peopling history of the world. The information provided by these genomic data is highly complementary to these other disciplines as it offers another dimensionality for the study of population history. Here, we review how evolutionary and population genetic approaches have allowed the detailed reconstruction of the migratory history of our species, admixture episodes between modern human populations or between humans and now-extinct hominins, and events of human adaptation to new environments.