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Population genomics of the Viking world

Author

Listed:
  • Ashot Margaryan

    (University of Copenhagen
    National Academy of Sciences
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Daniel J. Lawson

    (University of Bristol
    University of Bristol)

  • Martin Sikora

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Fernando Racimo

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Simon Rasmussen

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Ida Moltke

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Lara M. Cassidy

    (Trinity College Dublin)

  • Emil Jørsboe

    (University of Copenhagen
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Andrés Ingason

    (University of Copenhagen
    University of Copenhagen
    Mental Health Services Copenhagen)

  • Mikkel W. Pedersen

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Thorfinn Korneliussen

    (University of Copenhagen
    HSE University, Russian Federation National Research University Higher School of Economics)

  • Helene Wilhelmson

    (Lund University
    Sydsvensk Arkeologi AB)

  • Magdalena M. Buś

    (Uppsala University)

  • Peter Barros Damgaard

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Rui Martiniano

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Gabriel Renaud

    (University of Copenhagen
    Technical University of Denmark (DTU))

  • Claude Bhérer

    (McGill University)

  • J. Víctor Moreno-Mayar

    (University of Copenhagen
    National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN))

  • Anna K. Fotakis

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Marie Allen

    (Uppsala University)

  • Raili Allmäe

    (Tallinn University)

  • Martyna Molak

    (Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • Enrico Cappellini

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Gabriele Scorrano

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Hugh McColl

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Alexandra Buzhilova

    (Moscow State University)

  • Allison Fox

    (Manx National Heritage)

  • Anders Albrechtsen

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Berit Schütz

    (Upplandsmuseet)

  • Birgitte Skar

    (NTNU University Museum, Department of Archaeology and Cultural History)

  • Caroline Arcini

    (National Historical Museums)

  • Ceri Falys

    (Thames Valley Archaeological Services (TVAS))

  • Charlotte Hedenstierna Jonson

    (Uppsala University)

  • Dariusz Błaszczyk

    (University of Warsaw)

  • Denis Pezhemsky

    (Moscow State University)

  • Gordon Turner-Walker

    (National Yunlin University of Science and Technology)

  • Hildur Gestsdóttir

    (Institute of Archaeology)

  • Inge Lundstrøm

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Ingrid Gustin

    (Lund University)

  • Ingrid Mainland

    (University of the Highlands and Islands)

  • Inna Potekhina

    (Institute of Archaeology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine)

  • Italo M. Muntoni

    (Andria, Trani e Foggia)

  • Jade Cheng

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Jesper Stenderup

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Jilong Ma

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Julie Gibson

    (University of the Highlands and Islands)

  • Jüri Peets

    (Tallinn University)

  • Jörgen Gustafsson

    (Jönköping County Museum)

  • Katrine H. Iversen

    (University of Copenhagen
    Technical University of Denmark (DTU))

  • Linzi Simpson

    (Trinity College Dublin)

  • Lisa Strand

    (NTNU University Museum, Department of Archaeology and Cultural History)

  • Louise Loe

    (Heritage Burial Services, Oxford Archaeology)

  • Maeve Sikora

    (National Museum of Ireland)

  • Marek Florek

    (Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin)

  • Maria Vretemark

    (Västergötlands Museum)

  • Mark Redknap

    (Amgueddfa Cymru–National Museum Wales)

  • Monika Bajka

    (Trzy Epoki Archaeological Service)

  • Tamara Pushkina

    (Moscow State University)

  • Morten Søvsø

    (Museum of Southwest Jutland)

  • Natalia Grigoreva

    (Institute for the History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • Tom Christensen

    (National Museum of Denmark)

  • Ole Kastholm

    (Roskilde Museum)

  • Otto Uldum

    (Langelands Museum)

  • Pasquale Favia

    (University of Foggia)

  • Per Holck

    (Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo)

  • Sabine Sten

    (Uppsala University Campus Gotland)

  • Símun V. Arge

    (Tjóðsavnið – Faroe Islands National Museum)

  • Sturla Ellingvåg

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Vayacheslav Moiseyev

    (Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Science)

  • Wiesław Bogdanowicz

    (Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • Yvonne Magnusson

    (Malmö Museum)

  • Ludovic Orlando

    (Laboratoire d’Anthropobiologie Moléculaire et d’Imagerie de Synthèse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier)

  • Peter Pentz

    (National Museum of Denmark)

  • Mads Dengsø Jessen

    (National Museum of Denmark)

  • Anne Pedersen

    (National Museum of Denmark)

  • Mark Collard

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Daniel G. Bradley

    (Trinity College Dublin)

  • Marie Louise Jørkov

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Jette Arneborg

    (National Museum of Denmark
    University of Edinburgh)

  • Niels Lynnerup

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Neil Price

    (Uppsala University)

  • M. Thomas P. Gilbert

    (University of Copenhagen
    Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU))

  • Morten E. Allentoft

    (University of Copenhagen
    Curtin University)

  • Jan Bill

    (University of Oslo)

  • Søren M. Sindbæk

    (Aarhus University)

  • Lotte Hedeager

    (Conservation and History)

  • Kristian Kristiansen

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Rasmus Nielsen

    (University of Copenhagen
    UC Berkeley
    UC Berkeley)

  • Thomas Werge

    (University of Copenhagen
    University of Copenhagen
    Mental Health Services Copenhagen
    The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH)

  • Eske Willerslev

    (University of Copenhagen
    University of Cambridge
    University of Southern Denmark
    The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

Abstract

The maritime expansion of Scandinavian populations during the Viking Age (about ad 750–1050) was a far-flung transformation in world history1,2. Here we sequenced the genomes of 442 humans from archaeological sites across Europe and Greenland (to a median depth of about 1×) to understand the global influence of this expansion. We find the Viking period involved gene flow into Scandinavia from the south and east. We observe genetic structure within Scandinavia, with diversity hotspots in the south and restricted gene flow within Scandinavia. We find evidence for a major influx of Danish ancestry into England; a Swedish influx into the Baltic; and Norwegian influx into Ireland, Iceland and Greenland. Additionally, we see substantial ancestry from elsewhere in Europe entering Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Our ancient DNA analysis also revealed that a Viking expedition included close family members. By comparing with modern populations, we find that pigmentation-associated loci have undergone strong population differentiation during the past millennium, and trace positively selected loci—including the lactase-persistence allele of LCT and alleles of ANKA that are associated with the immune response—in detail. We conclude that the Viking diaspora was characterized by substantial transregional engagement: distinct populations influenced the genomic makeup of different regions of Europe, and Scandinavia experienced increased contact with the rest of the continent.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashot Margaryan & Daniel J. Lawson & Martin Sikora & Fernando Racimo & Simon Rasmussen & Ida Moltke & Lara M. Cassidy & Emil Jørsboe & Andrés Ingason & Mikkel W. Pedersen & Thorfinn Korneliussen & Hel, 2020. "Population genomics of the Viking world," Nature, Nature, vol. 585(7825), pages 390-396, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:585:y:2020:i:7825:d:10.1038_s41586-020-2688-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2688-8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mateus H. Gouveia & Amy R. Bentley & Thiago P. Leal & Eduardo Tarazona-Santos & Carlos D. Bustamante & Adebowale A. Adeyemo & Charles N. Rotimi & Daniel Shriner, 2023. "Unappreciated subcontinental admixture in Europeans and European Americans and implications for genetic epidemiology studies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Devansh Pandey & Mariana Harris & Nandita R. Garud & Vagheesh M. Narasimhan, 2024. "Leveraging ancient DNA to uncover signals of natural selection in Europe lost due to admixture or drift," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Isabel Alves & Joanna Giemza & Michael G. B. Blum & Carolina Bernhardsson & Stéphanie Chatel & Matilde Karakachoff & Aude Pierre & Anthony F. Herzig & Robert Olaso & Martial Monteil & Véronique Gallie, 2024. "Human genetic structure in Northwest France provides new insights into West European historical demography," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Stephen R. Doyle & Martin Jensen Søe & Peter Nejsum & Martha Betson & Philip J. Cooper & Lifei Peng & Xing-Quan Zhu & Ana Sanchez & Gabriela Matamoros & Gustavo Adolfo Fontecha Sandoval & Cristina Cut, 2022. "Population genomics of ancient and modern Trichuris trichiura," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Bárbara Sousa da Mota & Simone Rubinacci & Diana Ivette Cruz Dávalos & Carlos Eduardo G. Amorim & Martin Sikora & Niels N. Johannsen & Marzena H. Szmyt & Piotr Włodarczak & Anita Szczepanek & Marcin M, 2023. "Imputation of ancient human genomes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Romain Fournier & Zoi Tsangalidou & David Reich & Pier Francesco Palamara, 2023. "Haplotype-based inference of recent effective population size in modern and ancient DNA samples," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Sarah Yanyue Yu, 2021. "An In Medias Res Economic Cost‐Benefit Analysis of ACT Container Deposit Scheme," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 40(1), pages 78-90, March.

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