Genetic demography: What does it mean and how to interpret it, with a case study on the Neolithic transition

Abstract

The present work describes the basic principles underlying demographic reconstructions from genetic data, and reviews the studies using such methods with respect to the Neolithic Demographic Transition. It is intended as a tool for scholars outside the field of population genetics (e.g., archaeologists, anthropologists, etc.) to better understand the significance and intrinsic limitations of genetic demography, and to help integrate its results within the broader context of the reconstruction of the human past.