Ancient DNA provides new insights into the history of south Siberian Kurgan people

Abstract

To help unravel some of the early Eurasian steppe migration movements, we determined the Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial haplotypes and haplogroups of 26 ancient human specimens from the Krasnoyarsk area dated from between the middle of the second millennium BC. to the fourth century AD. In order to go further in the search of the geographic origin and physical traits of these south Siberian specimens, we also typed phenotype-informative single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our autosomal, Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA analyses reveal that whereas few specimens seem to be related matrilineally or patrilineally, nearly all subjects belong to haplogroup R1a1-M17 which is thought to mark the eastward migration of the early Indo-Europeans. Our results also confirm that at the Bronze and Iron Ages, south Siberia was a region of overwhelmingly predominant European settlement, suggesting an eastward migration of Kurgan people across the Russo-Kazakh steppe. Finally, our data indicate that at the Bronze and Iron Age timeframe, south Siberians were blue (or green)-eyed, fair-skinned and light-haired people and that they might have played a role in the early development of the Tarim Basin civilization. To the best of our knowledge, no equivalent molecular analysis has been undertaken so far.

HVS-I polymorphism screening of ancient human mitochondrial DNA provides evidence for N9a discontinuity and East Asian haplogroups in the Neolithic Hungary

“…In the literature, a distribution of 7% in Europe and 65% in Mongolia and 91% in Africa was described for this polymorphism. 2 Presence of the N9a haplogroup has also been shown by an extended study of the Siberian Kurgan people, 46 with only one specimen of N9a assignement out of 26-examined remains dated between 3800-1600 BP. Upon evidences from mtDNA, Y-chromosome and pigment gene polymorphisms, these samples of SouthSiberian people were supposed to have European genetic relations.…”

Genetic features of ancient West Siberian people of the Middle Ages, revealed by mitochondrial DNA haplogroup analysis

“…In addition, to further understand the genetic features and history of the ancient West Siberian people, information on the paternal and biparental gene lineages as well as additional ancestors from different periods would be very useful; however, the low rate of the successful samples analyzed in the present study may indicate the difficulty of obtaining nucleic DNA data, as reported in some previous studies. 39,40 …”

Ancient links between Siberians and Native Americans revealed by subtyping the Y chromosome haplogroup Q1a

“…In addition, ancient DNA studies demonstrate that West Eurasian admixture was present in South Siberia and Northwest China as early as the early Bronze Age, thus indicating that West Eurasian genetic input occurred earlier than the proposed relatively recent population admixture. [11][12][13][14] It is assumed that haplogroup P-92R7 consisting of subclades Q-M242 and R-M207 originated in Central Asia about 40 Ka. 15 Haplogroup Q-M242 is present in Eurasia, but it is most frequent in North Asia.…”