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Japan’s First Footprints: Tracing the Genetic Legacy of the Jomon
For thousands of years before the first rice paddies were carved into the landscape, the Jomon people thrived across the Japanese archipelago.
May 20
•
Davide Piffer
8
1
Predicting Substack Growth: How Long Before You Hit a Wall?
Paid newsletters are fundamentally subscription businesses.
May 19
•
Davide Piffer
2
1
Does "Slavic DNA" Actually Exist?
From the Adriatic to the Pacific, the Slavic linguistic footprint is massive.
May 18
•
Davide Piffer
11
1
Are Northern Italians Really More Germanic? A Second Look
In my previous deep dive into whether Northern Italy can truly be called “Germanic,” I began with a persistent internet trope: the side-by-side…
May 14
•
Davide Piffer
10
2
1
Were Celts and Germanics Genetically Different?
When we talk about “Germanic” or “Celtic,” we’re usually talking about language or art styles, not necessarily DNA.
May 11
•
Davide Piffer
12
1
2
Germanic Origins Inside the Ancestry Doll
Germanic origins have been argued over for two thousand years.
May 8
•
Davide Piffer
7
3
2
Did Islands Make People Shorter?
Island biology has one of the most memorable rules in evolution: when large animals are trapped on islands, they often get smaller.
May 6
•
Davide Piffer
6
1
2
Did Harsh Seasons Make Complex Societies?
Look at the modern world and the cold-winter theory has an immediate appeal.
May 4
•
Davide Piffer
14
1
5
The Farmer Signal in Intelligence Appears in East Asia Too: The Rise of the Han
There is a pattern in ancient DNA that keeps reappearing: the first large farming populations did not just change how people ate.
May 1
•
Davide Piffer
13
3
2
April 2026
When Correcting for Ancestry Corrects Away Evolution
Ancient DNA selection scans often follow a simple rule: first correct for ancestry, then see what remains.
Apr 30
•
Davide Piffer
8
2
Did the New Nature Study Correct Away Evolution in Ancient Europe?
Why ancestry, geography, and polygenic scores do not move through ancient Europe as one simple line.
Apr 28
•
Davide Piffer
7
1
The People Who Replaced Ancient Europe
Ancient DNA has made some old historical words feel concrete again.
Apr 27
•
Davide Piffer
8
3
1
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