Preprints
- C Padilla-Iglesias, Z Xue, M Leonardi, JLA Paijmans, M Colucci, A Hovhannisyan, P Maisano-Delser, J Blanco-Portillo, A Ioannidis, G Lucarini, JN Cerasoni, AWY Kandel, M Will, EY Hallet, K Lupo, EML Scerri, I Crevecoeur, L Vinicius, A Migliano, A Manica (2025) Pan-African metapopulation model explains Homo sapiens genetic and morphological evolution. bioRxiv 2025.05.22.655514 .
- M Colucci, M Leonardi, J Blinkhorn, SR Irish, C Padilla-Iglesias, S Kaboth-Bar, WD Gosling, RW Snow, A Manica, EML Scerri (2025) Malaria shaped human spatial organisation for the last 74 thousand years bioRxiv 2025.06.04.657870
- M Leonardi, A Manica, S Lycett, A Key (2024). The European Acheulean niche. bioRxiv 2024.07.19.604259
- M Fusco, B Habte, A Leplongeon, C Ménard, A Manica, EE Spinapolice, M Leonardi (2024) The environmental context of the Middle-to-Late Stone Age Transition in eastern Africa: seasonality as a key factor. bioRxiv 2024.12.09.627606
- S Leedham, JLA Paijmans, A Manica, M Leonardi (2023) Niche conservatism in a generalist felid: low differentiation of the climatic niche among subspecies of the leopard (Panthera pardus). bioRxiv 2023.01.26.525491
- P Maisano Delser, M Krapp, R Beyer, E Jones, EF Miller, A Hovhannisyan, M Parker, V Siska, MT Vizzari, EJ Pearmain, I Imaz-Rosshandler, M Leonardi, GL Somma, J Hodgson, E Tysall, Z Xue, L Cassidy, DG Bradley, A Eriksson, A Manica (2021) Climate and mountains shaped human ancestral genetic lineages. bioRxiv 2021.07.13.452067,
- EF Miller, M Leonardi, R. Beyer, M Krapp, M Somveille, GL Somma, P Maisano Delser, A Manica (2021) Post-glacial expansion dynamics, not refugial isolation, shaped the genetic structure of a migratory bird, the Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia). bioRxiv 2021.05.10.443405
Articles in peer-reviewed journals
- EY Hallett, M Leonardi*(co-first), JN Cerasoni, M Will, R Beyer, M Krapp, AW Kandel, A Manica, EML Scerri (2025) Major expansion in the human niche preceded out of Africa dispersal. Nature
- RS Paterson, M Mackie, A Capobianco, NS Heckeberg, D Fraser, B Demarchi, F Munir, I Patramanis, J Ramos-Madrigal, S Liu, AD Ramsøe, MR Dickinson, C Baldreki, M Gilbert, R Sardella, L Bellucci, G Scorrano, M Leonardi, A Manica, F Racimo, E Willerslev, KEH Penkman, S Höhna, RDE MacPhee, N Rybczynski, E Cappellini (2025) Phylogenetically-informative proteins from an Early Miocene rhinocerotid. Nature
- L Timbrell, J Blinkhorn, M Colucci, M Leonardi, M Chevalier, M Grove, EML Scerri, A Manica (2025) More is not always better: downscaling climate model outputs from 30 to 5-minute resolution has minimal impact on coherence with Late Quaternary proxies. Climate of the Past https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1185-2025
- M Colucci, M Leonardi*(co-first), JA Hodgson, C Stringer, EML Scerri (2025). The legacy of Luca Cavalli-Sforza on human evolution. Human Population Genetics and Genomics, 2025;5(1):0001
- M Leonardi, M Colucci, AV Pozzi, EML Scerri, A Manica (2024) tidysdm: leveraging the flexibility of tidymodels for Species Distribution Modelling in R. Methods in Ecology and Evolution: 15(10): 1789-1795.
- M Leonardi, EY Hallett, R Beyer, M Krapp, A Manica (2023) pastclim 1.2: an R package to easily access and use paleoclimatic reconstructions. Ecography, 2023 (3): e06481.
- M Leonardi, F Boschin, P Boscato, A Manica (2022) Following the niche: the differential impact of the Last Glacial Maximum on four European ungulates. Communications Biology, 5: 1038.
- EF Miller, RE Green, A Balmford, R Beyer, M Somveille, M Leonardi, W Amos, A Manica (2021) Bayesian Skyline Plots disagree with range size changes based on Species Distribution Models for Holarctic birds. Molecular Ecology. 30 (16), 3993-4004.
- L Betti, R Beyer, ER Jones, A Eriksson, F Tassi, V Siska, M Leonardi, P Maisano-Delser, LK Bentley, PR Nigst, J Stock, R Pinhasi, A Manica. (2020) Climate shaped how Neolithic farmers and European hunter-gatherers interacted during a major slowdown from 6,100 BCE to 4,500 BCE Nature Human Behaviour 4, 1004–1010
- A Fages, K Hanghøj, N Khan, C Gaunitz, A Seguin-Orlando, M Leonardi, [116 authors], L Orlando (2019) Tracking five millennia of horse management with extensive ancient genome time-series. Cell 177, 1–17
- A Viganò, A Manica, V Di Piero, M Leonardi (2019) Did going North give us migraine? An evolutionary approach on understanding latitudinal differences in migraine epidemiology. Headache 59(4)
- M Leonardi, A Sandionigi, A Conzato, S Vai, M Lari, S Ghirotto, F Tassi, D Caramelli, G Barbujani (2018). The female ancestor’s tale: long-term matrilineal continuity in a non-isolated region of Tuscany. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 167(3):497-506. (paywall)
- M Leonardi, F Boschin, K Giampoudakis, RM Beyer, M Krapp, R Bendrey, R Sommer, P Boscato, A Manica, D Noguez-Bravo, L Orlando (2018). Late Quaternary horses in Eurasia in the face of climate and vegetation change. Science Advances 4(7), eaar5589, download.
- M Leonardi, G Barbujani, A Manica (2017) An earlier revolution: genetic and genomic analyses reveal pre-existing cultural differences leading to Neolithization. Scientific Reports 7(1): 3525.
- M Leonardi, P Librado, C Der Sarkissian, M Schubert, AH Alfarhan, SA Alquraishi, KAS Al-Rasheid, C Gamba, E Willerslev, L Orlando (2017) Evolutionary Patterns and Processes: Lessons from Ancient DNA. Systematic Biology, 66 (1), e1-e29.
- P Librado, A Fages, C Gaunitz, M Leonardi, S Wagner, N Kahn, K Hanghøj, S Al Quraishi, A Alfarhan, K Al Rasheid, C Der Sarkissian, M Schubert, L Orlando (2016). The evolutionary origin and genetic makeup of domestic horses, Genetics 204(2).
- E Heyer, JT Brandenburg, M Leonardi, B Toupance, P Balaresque, T Hegay, A Aldashev, F Austerlitz (2015) Patrilineal populations show more male transmission of reproductive success than cognatic populations in Central Asia, which reduces their genetic diversity. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 157(4):537-43 (paywall).
- M Leonardi (2013) Lactase persistence and milk consumption in Europe: an interdisciplinary approach involving genetics and archaeology, Documenta Praehistorica 40: 84-96 download.
- M Leonardi, P Gerbault, MG Thomas, J Burger (2012) The evolution of lactase persistence in Europe. A synthesis of archaeological and genetic evidence. International Dairy Journal, 22(2): 88-97 (paywall).
Book chapters
- M Leonardi, G Barbujani, A Manica (2021) Genetic demography: what does it mean and how to interpret it, with a case study on the Neolithic transition. In: H Reyes-Centeno, K Harvati, G Jaeger (eds) Ancient connections in Eurasia, Kerns Verlag, Tuebingen.
- P Gerbault, M Leonardi, A Powell, C Weber, N Benecke, J Burger, MG Thomas (2012) Domestication and migrations: using mitochondrial DNA to infer domestication processes of goats and horses. In: Kaiser E, Schier W, Burger J (eds), Population dynamics in Prehistory and Early History. New Approaches by Stable Isotopes and Genetics, DE GRUYTER 17-29
- M Leonardi (2011) The history inside us, in F. Feulner et al. “May contain traces of milk. Investigating the role of dairy farming and milk consumption in the European Neolithic”, University of York.
- M Leonardi (2011) Die weiße revolution der Jungsteinzeit, in J. Reinhard (ed.): “Milch! Nahrung – Mythos – Politikum”, Jexhof Bauernhof Museum, Fürstenfeldbruck.
Commentaries and Media Coverage
Late Quaternary horses in Eurasia in the face of climate and vegetation change.
Indo-European.eu: Origin of horse domestication likely on the North Caspian steppes
Popular science: Ancient climate change may have dragged the wild horses away
An earlier revolution: genetic and genomic analyses reveal pre-existing cultural differences leading to Neolithization
Barbujani G. Brunelli A. 2018 Il giro del mondo in sei milioni di anni. Il Mulino.
The evolution of lactase persistence in Europe. A synthesis of archaeological and genetic evidence
Le Scienze – Scienza in cucina: Darwin e l’innaturalità di bere latte, Dario Bressanini
Dario Bressanini on Youtube: Intolleranza al lattosio. Bere latte è naturale?
Nature News: Curry, A. (2013). The milk revolution. Nature, 500(7460), 20.