DNA reveals inbreeding, smallpox and violent ends among cave-dwelling Christians in medieval Spain
It's unclear why people chose to live in the caves, but DNA is shedding light on their lives.
Ricardo Rodriguez Varela
Research in Molecular Archaeology, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm University
Ricardo uses palaeogenomics to investigate past human movements and history. He was previously a biologist for the University of Santiago de Compostela. Ricardo's doctoral research with the Atapuerca team centered on the genetic variation and geographic distribution of Iberian and boreal lynx populations throughout history, utilising ancient DNA analysis of lynx from the Upper Pleistocene to present day. Since joining the University of Stockholm's archaeology department in 2017, he has concentrated his work on archaeogenetics, particularly in examining the genomes of individuals from the past to investigate population migrations and human history in Scandinavia.
