Carles Lalueza Fox (Barcelona, 1965) is a Spanish biologist specialized in the study of ancient DNA. A doctor in Biology for the

University of Barcelona The University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat de Barcelona, UB; ; es, link=no, Universidad de Barcelona) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, in Spain. With 63,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities i ...

, he worked in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

and

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

as well as in the private genetics company CODE Genetics of Iceland. Since 2008, he has served as a research Scientist in the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC –

Pompeu Fabra University Pompeu Fabra University ( ca, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, UPF, ; es, link=no, Universidad Pompeu Fabra) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. The university was created by the Autonomous Government of Catalo ...

). He is a specialist in DNA recovery techniques from the remains of the past, in phylogenetic reconstruction of extinct species, in the rebuilding of past migrations in human populations and in the evolutionary genetics of

Neanderthals Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an Extinction, extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ag ...

. In 2010, the magazine ''

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

'' published a study directed by

Svante Pääbo Svante Pääbo (; born 20 April 1955) is a Swedish geneticist who specialises in the field of evolutionary genetics. As one of the founders of paleogenetics, he has worked extensively on the Neanderthal genome. In 1997, he became founding dire ...

, which demonstrated the presence of Neanderthal DNA in the

Homo sapiens Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

for the first time. Lalueza was one the fifty investigators that collaborated with this project. Lalueza-Fox also directed the first sequencing of a European mesolithic genome at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona (2014). The team of scientists led by him discovered that African versions of pigmentation genes determined his skin color, but that he had blue eyes now associated with northern Europeans.

Bibliography

* 1999: ''Mensajes del pasado'' * 2002: ''Razas, racismo y diversidad'' * 2002: ''Dioses y monstruos'' * 2003: ''El bestiario extinguido'' * 2003: ''El color bajo la piel'' * 2005: ''Genes de Neandertal'' * 2006: ''Cuando éramos caníbales'' * 2013: ''Palabras en el tiempo'' * 2013: ''Genes, reyes e impostores'' * 2017: ''Des-Extinctiones. Una inmersión rápida'' * 2022: ''Inequality: A Genetic History''

Awards and honours

* Winner of the VII European Prize for Scientific Dissemination, promoted by the

University of Valencia The University of Valencia ( ca-valencia, Universitat de València ; also known as UV) is a public research university located in the city of Valencia, Spain. It is one of the oldest surviving universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Vale ...

, for the book "''Razas, racismo y diversidad''". Year 2001. * Winner of the VII prize for Scientific Literature, promoted by the Fundació Catalana per a la recerca, for the book "''El color bajo la piel''". Year 2002. * Winner of the first international essay prize Esteban de Terreros (

Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

) for the book "''Genes de Neandertal''". Year 2005. * Winner of the XVIII prize Prismas House of Science (La Coruña) for the book "''Cuando éramos caníbales''". Year 2005. * Winner of the City of Barcelona Award for Scientific Research in 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lalueza-Fox, Carles 20th-century Spanish scientists 21st-century Spanish scientists People from Barcelona Spanish biologists University of Barcelona alumni 1965 births Living people Academics of the University of Oxford Academics of the University of Cambridge