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The genetic prehistory of the Baltic Sea region

Author

Listed:
  • Alissa Mittnik

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    University of Tübingen)

  • Chuan-Chao Wang

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    Xiamen University)

  • Saskia Pfrengle

    (University of Tübingen)

  • Mantas Daubaras

    (Lithuanian Institute of History)

  • Gunita Zariņa

    (University of Latvia)

  • Fredrik Hallgren

    (The Cultural Heritage Foundation)

  • Raili Allmäe

    (Tallinn University)

  • Valery Khartanovich

    (Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) RAS)

  • Vyacheslav Moiseyev

    (Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) RAS)

  • Mari Tõrv

    (University of Tartu)

  • Anja Furtwängler

    (University of Tübingen)

  • Aida Andrades Valtueña

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Michal Feldman

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Christos Economou

    (Stockholm University)

  • Markku Oinonen

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Andrejs Vasks

    (University of Latvia)

  • Elena Balanovska

    (Research Centre for Medical Genetics)

  • David Reich

    (Harvard Medical School
    Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School)

  • Rimantas Jankauskas

    (Vilnius University)

  • Wolfgang Haak

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    The University of Adelaide)

  • Stephan Schiffels

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Johannes Krause

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    University of Tübingen)

Abstract

While the series of events that shaped the transition between foraging societies and food producers are well described for Central and Southern Europe, genetic evidence from Northern Europe surrounding the Baltic Sea is still sparse. Here, we report genome-wide DNA data from 38 ancient North Europeans ranging from ~9500 to 2200 years before present. Our analysis provides genetic evidence that hunter-gatherers settled Scandinavia via two routes. We reveal that the first Scandinavian farmers derive their ancestry from Anatolia 1000 years earlier than previously demonstrated. The range of Mesolithic Western hunter-gatherers extended to the east of the Baltic Sea, where these populations persisted without gene-flow from Central European farmers during the Early and Middle Neolithic. The arrival of steppe pastoralists in the Late Neolithic introduced a major shift in economy and mediated the spread of a new ancestry associated with the Corded Ware Complex in Northern Europe.

Suggested Citation

  • Alissa Mittnik & Chuan-Chao Wang & Saskia Pfrengle & Mantas Daubaras & Gunita Zariņa & Fredrik Hallgren & Raili Allmäe & Valery Khartanovich & Vyacheslav Moiseyev & Mari Tõrv & Anja Furtwängler & Aida, 2018. "The genetic prehistory of the Baltic Sea region," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-02825-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02825-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Owen Alexander Higgins & Alessandra Modi & Costanza Cannariato & Maria Angela Diroma & Federico Lugli & Stefano Ricci & Valentina Zaro & Stefania Vai & Antonino Vazzana & Matteo Romandini & He Yu & Fr, 2024. "Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Andaine Seguin-Orlando & Richard Donat & Clio Der Sarkissian & John Southon & Catherine Thèves & Claire Manen & Yaramila Tchérémissinoff & Eric Crubézy & Beth Shapiro & Jean-François Deleuze & Love Da, 2021. "Heterogeneous Hunter-Gatherer and Steppe-Related Ancestries in Late Neolithic and Bell Beaker Genomes from Present-Day France," Post-Print hal-03150872, HAL.
    3. Maciej Chyleński & Przemysław Makarowicz & Anna Juras & Maja Krzewińska & Łukasz Pospieszny & Edvard Ehler & Agnieszka Breszka & Jacek Górski & Halina Taras & Anita Szczepanek & Marta Polańska & Piotr, 2023. "Patrilocality and hunter-gatherer-related ancestry of populations in East-Central Europe during the Middle Bronze Age," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

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