Ancient DNA reveals lack of continuity between neolithic hunter-gatherers and contemporary Scandinavians
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Ancient DNA reveals lack of continuity between neolithic hunter-gatherers and contemporary Scandinavians. / Malmström, Helena; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Thomas, Mark G; Brandström, Mikael; Storå, Jan; Molnar, Petra; Andersen, Pernille K; Bendixen, Christian; Holmlund, Gunilla; Götherström, Anders; Willerslev, Eske.
In: Current Biology, Vol. 19, No. 20, 2009, p. 1758-62.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Ancient DNA reveals lack of continuity between neolithic hunter-gatherers and contemporary Scandinavians
AU - Malmström, Helena
AU - Gilbert, M Thomas P
AU - Thomas, Mark G
AU - Brandström, Mikael
AU - Storå, Jan
AU - Molnar, Petra
AU - Andersen, Pernille K
AU - Bendixen, Christian
AU - Holmlund, Gunilla
AU - Götherström, Anders
AU - Willerslev, Eske
N1 - Keywords: Agriculture; Anthropology, Physical; DNA, Mitochondrial; Emigration and Immigration; Genetic Variation; History, Ancient; Humans; Scandinavia
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - The driving force behind the transition from a foraging to a farming lifestyle in prehistoric Europe (Neolithization) has been debated for more than a century [1-3]. Of particular interest is whether population replacement or cultural exchange was responsible [3-5]. Scandinavia holds a unique place in this debate, for it maintained one of the last major hunter-gatherer complexes in Neolithic Europe, the Pitted Ware culture [6]. Intriguingly, these late hunter-gatherers existed in parallel to early farmers for more than a millennium before they vanished some 4,000 years ago [7, 8]. The prolonged coexistence of the two cultures in Scandinavia has been cited as an argument against population replacement between the Mesolithic and the present [7, 8]. Through analysis of DNA extracted from ancient Scandinavian human remains, we show that people of the Pitted Ware culture were not the direct ancestors of modern Scandinavians (including the Saami people of northern Scandinavia) but are more closely related to contemporary populations of the eastern Baltic region. Our findings support hypotheses arising from archaeological analyses that propose a Neolithic or post-Neolithic population replacement in Scandinavia [7]. Furthermore, our data are consistent with the view that the eastern Baltic represents a genetic refugia for some of the European hunter-gatherer populations.
AB - The driving force behind the transition from a foraging to a farming lifestyle in prehistoric Europe (Neolithization) has been debated for more than a century [1-3]. Of particular interest is whether population replacement or cultural exchange was responsible [3-5]. Scandinavia holds a unique place in this debate, for it maintained one of the last major hunter-gatherer complexes in Neolithic Europe, the Pitted Ware culture [6]. Intriguingly, these late hunter-gatherers existed in parallel to early farmers for more than a millennium before they vanished some 4,000 years ago [7, 8]. The prolonged coexistence of the two cultures in Scandinavia has been cited as an argument against population replacement between the Mesolithic and the present [7, 8]. Through analysis of DNA extracted from ancient Scandinavian human remains, we show that people of the Pitted Ware culture were not the direct ancestors of modern Scandinavians (including the Saami people of northern Scandinavia) but are more closely related to contemporary populations of the eastern Baltic region. Our findings support hypotheses arising from archaeological analyses that propose a Neolithic or post-Neolithic population replacement in Scandinavia [7]. Furthermore, our data are consistent with the view that the eastern Baltic represents a genetic refugia for some of the European hunter-gatherer populations.
U2 - 10.1016/j.cub.2009.09.017
DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2009.09.017
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 19781941
VL - 19
SP - 1758
EP - 1762
JO - Current Biology
JF - Current Biology
SN - 0960-9822
IS - 20
ER -
ID: 18361278