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Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East

Author

Listed:
  • Iosif Lazaridis

    (Harvard Medical School
    Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Dani Nadel

    (The Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa)

  • Gary Rollefson

    (Whitman College)

  • Deborah C. Merrett

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Nadin Rohland

    (Harvard Medical School)

  • Swapan Mallick

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

  • Daniel Fernandes

    (School of Archaeology and Earth Institute, Belfield, University College Dublin
    CIAS, University of Coimbra)

  • Mario Novak

    (School of Archaeology and Earth Institute, Belfield, University College Dublin
    Institute for Anthropological Research)

  • Beatriz Gamarra

    (School of Archaeology and Earth Institute, Belfield, University College Dublin)

  • Kendra Sirak

    (School of Archaeology and Earth Institute, Belfield, University College Dublin
    Emory University)

  • Sarah Connell

    (School of Archaeology and Earth Institute, Belfield, University College Dublin)

  • Kristin Stewardson

    (Harvard Medical School
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School)

  • Eadaoin Harney

    (Harvard Medical School
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School
    Harvard University)

  • Qiaomei Fu

    (Harvard Medical School
    Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
    Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Gloria Gonzalez-Fortes

    (University of Ferrara)

  • Eppie R. Jones

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Songül Alpaslan Roodenberg

    (J.M. van Nassaulaan 9)

  • György Lengyel

    (University of Miskolc)

  • Fanny Bocquentin

    (French National Centre for Scientific Research)

  • Boris Gasparian

    (Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia)

  • Janet M. Monge

    (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

  • Michael Gregg

    (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

  • Vered Eshed

    (Israel Antiquities Authority)

  • Ahuva-Sivan Mizrahi

    (Israel Antiquities Authority)

  • Christopher Meiklejohn

    (University of Winnipeg)

  • Fokke Gerritsen

    (Netherlands Institute in Turkey)

  • Luminita Bejenaru

    (Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi)

  • Matthias Blüher

    (Clinic of Endocrinology and Nephrology)

  • Archie Campbell

    (Generation Scotland, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh)

  • Gianpiero Cavalleri

    (RCSI Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)

  • David Comas

    (Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

  • Philippe Froguel

    (Univ. Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille
    Imperial College London)

  • Edmund Gilbert

    (RCSI Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)

  • Shona M. Kerr

    (Generation Scotland, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh)

  • Peter Kovacs

    (Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases)

  • Johannes Krause

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Darren McGettigan

    (School of History, Newman Building, University College Dublin)

  • Michael Merrigan

    (Genealogical Society of Ireland)

  • D. Andrew Merriwether

    (Binghamton University, State University of New York)

  • Seamus O'Reilly

    (Genealogical Society of Ireland)

  • Martin B. Richards

    (School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield)

  • Ornella Semino

    (Università di Pavia)

  • Michel Shamoon-Pour

    (Binghamton University, State University of New York)

  • Gheorghe Stefanescu

    (Institutul de Cercetari Biologice)

  • Michael Stumvoll

    (Clinic of Endocrinology and Nephrology)

  • Anke Tönjes

    (Clinic of Endocrinology and Nephrology)

  • Antonio Torroni

    (Università di Pavia)

  • James F. Wilson

    (Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh
    MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh)

  • Loic Yengo

    (Univ. Lille, CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille)

  • Nelli A. Hovhannisyan

    (Center of Excellence in Applied Biosciences, Yerevan State University)

  • Nick Patterson

    (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Ron Pinhasi

    (School of Archaeology and Earth Institute, Belfield, University College Dublin)

  • David Reich

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

Abstract

We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 44 ancient Near Easterners ranging in time between ~12,000 and 1,400 bc, from Natufian hunter–gatherers to Bronze Age farmers. We show that the earliest populations of the Near East derived around half their ancestry from a ‘Basal Eurasian’ lineage that had little if any Neanderthal admixture and that separated from other non-African lineages before their separation from each other. The first farmers of the southern Levant (Israel and Jordan) and Zagros Mountains (Iran) were strongly genetically differentiated, and each descended from local hunter–gatherers. By the time of the Bronze Age, these two populations and Anatolian-related farmers had mixed with each other and with the hunter–gatherers of Europe to greatly reduce genetic differentiation. The impact of the Near Eastern farmers extended beyond the Near East: farmers related to those of Anatolia spread westward into Europe; farmers related to those of the Levant spread southward into East Africa; farmers related to those of Iran spread northward into the Eurasian steppe; and people related to both the early farmers of Iran and to the pastoralists of the Eurasian steppe spread eastward into South Asia.

Suggested Citation

  • Iosif Lazaridis & Dani Nadel & Gary Rollefson & Deborah C. Merrett & Nadin Rohland & Swapan Mallick & Daniel Fernandes & Mario Novak & Beatriz Gamarra & Kendra Sirak & Sarah Connell & Kristin Stewards, 2016. "Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East," Nature, Nature, vol. 536(7617), pages 419-424, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:536:y:2016:i:7617:d:10.1038_nature19310
    DOI: 10.1038/nature19310
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    Cited by:

    1. Alieh Abadi & Mehdi Khakzand, 2022. "Extracting the qualitative dimensions of agritourism for the sustainable development of Charqoli village in Iran: the promotion of vernacular entrepreneurship and environment-oriented preservation per," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(11), pages 12609-12671, November.
    2. Maryam Mahmoodi & Michał Roman & Piotr Prus, 2022. "Features and Challenges of Agritourism: Evidence from Iran and Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Vincent Somerville & Nadine Thierer & Remo S. Schmidt & Alexandra Roetschi & Lauriane Braillard & Monika Haueter & Hélène Berthoud & Noam Shani & Ueli Ah & Florent Mazel & Philipp Engel, 2024. "Genomic and phenotypic imprints of microbial domestication on cheese starter cultures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Andrea Quagliariello & Alessandra Modi & Gabriel Innocenti & Valentina Zaro & Cecilia Conati Barbaro & Annamaria Ronchitelli & Francesco Boschin & Claudio Cavazzuti & Elena Dellù & Francesca Radina & , 2022. "Ancient oral microbiomes support gradual Neolithic dietary shifts towards agriculture," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. 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.
    6. Kenichi Yamamoto & Shinichi Namba & Kyuto Sonehara & Ken Suzuki & Saori Sakaue & Niall P. Cooke & Shinichi Higashiue & Shuzo Kobayashi & Hisaaki Afuso & Kosho Matsuura & Yojiro Mitsumoto & Yasuhiko Fu, 2024. "Genetic legacy of ancient hunter-gatherer Jomon in Japanese populations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    7. Javier G. Serrano & Alejandra C. Ordóñez & Jonathan Santana & Elías Sánchez-Cañadillas & Matilde Arnay & Amelia Rodríguez-Rodríguez & Jacob Morales & Javier Velasco-Vázquez & Verónica Alberto-Barroso , 2023. "The genomic history of the indigenous people of the Canary Islands," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Kendra A. Sirak & Daniel M. Fernandes & Mark Lipson & Swapan Mallick & Matthew Mah & Iñigo Olalde & Harald Ringbauer & Nadin Rohland & Carla S. Hadden & Éadaoin Harney & Nicole Adamski & Rebecca Berna, 2021. "Social stratification without genetic differentiation at the site of Kulubnarti in Christian Period Nubia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    9. Douglas J. Kennett & Mark Lipson & Keith M. Prufer & David Mora-Marín & Richard J. George & Nadin Rohland & Mark Robinson & Willa R. Trask & Heather H. J. Edgar & Ethan C. Hill & Erin E. Ray & Paige L, 2022. "South-to-north migration preceded the advent of intensive farming in the Maya region," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    10. Bing Sun & Aida Andrades Valtueña & Arthur Kocher & Shizhu Gao & Chunxiang Li & Shuang Fu & Fan Zhang & Pengcheng Ma & Xuan Yang & Yulan Qiu & Quanchao Zhang & Jian Ma & Shan Chen & Xiaoming Xiao & So, 2024. "Origin and dispersal history of Hepatitis B virus in Eastern Eurasia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    11. Leonardo Vallini & Carlo Zampieri & Mohamed Javad Shoaee & Eugenio Bortolini & Giulia Marciani & Serena Aneli & Telmo Pievani & Stefano Benazzi & Alberto Barausse & Massimo Mezzavilla & Michael D. Pet, 2024. "The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    12. Chi-Chun Liu & David Witonsky & Anna Gosling & Ju Hyeon Lee & Harald Ringbauer & Richard Hagan & Nisha Patel & Raphaela Stahl & John Novembre & Mark Aldenderfer & Christina Warinner & Anna Di Rienzo &, 2022. "Ancient genomes from the Himalayas illuminate the genetic history of Tibetans and their Tibeto-Burman speaking neighbors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. 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.
    14. Rozaimi Mohamad Razali & Juan Rodriguez-Flores & Mohammadmersad Ghorbani & Haroon Naeem & Waleed Aamer & Elbay Aliyev & Ali Jubran & Andrew G. Clark & Khalid A. Fakhro & Younes Mokrab, 2021. "Thousands of Qatari genomes inform human migration history and improve imputation of Arab haplotypes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.

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