mtDNA from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman Period Suggests a Genetic Link between the Indian Subcontinent and Mesopotamian Cradle of Civilization

Abstract

Ancient DNA methodology was applied to analyse sequences extracted from freshly unearthed remains (teeth) of 4 individuals deeply deposited in slightly alkaline soil of the Tell Ashara (ancient Terqa) and Tell Masaikh (ancient Kar-Assurnasirpal) Syrian archaeological sites, both in the middle Euphrates valley. Dated to the period between 2.5 Kyrs BC and 0.5 Kyrs AD the studied individuals carried mtDNA haplotypes corresponding to the M4b1, M49 and/or M61 haplogroups, which are believed to have arisen in the area of the Indian subcontinent during the Upper Paleolithic and are absent in people living today in Syria. However, they are present in people inhabiting today’s Tibet, Himalayas, India and Pakistan. We anticipate that the analysed remains from Mesopotamia belonged to people with genetic affinity to the Indian subcontinent since the distribution of identified ancient haplotypes indicates solid link with populations from the region of South Asia-Tibet (Trans-Himalaya). They may have been descendants of migrants from much earlier times, spreading the clades of the macrohaplogroup M throughout Eurasia and founding regional Mesopotamian groups like that of Terqa or just merchants moving along trade routes passing near or through the region. None of the successfully identified nuclear alleles turned out to be ΔF508 CFTR, LCT-13910T or Δ32 CCR5.

Carriers of human mitochondrial DNA macrohaplogroup M colonized India from southeastern Asia

“…Likewise, eastern Asian M lineages belonging to C, D, G and Z haplogroups mainly in Finno-Ugric-speaking populations of north and eastern Europe, seem to be the footprints of successive westward migration waves of Asiatic nomads occurred from Mesolithic period to historic times [50–58]. South Asian influences on the west have been also evidenced by the presence of Indian M4, M49 and M61 lineages in Mesopotamian remains [59]. In addition, ancestral mtDNA links between European Romani groups and northwest India populations were proved by the sharing of M5a1, M18, M25 and M35b lineages [60–64].…”

A Probable Case of Thalassemia Intermedia from Tell Masaikh, Syria

“…A specific haplotype found in the studied specimen, and considered to be the M4b1 haplogroup with a mutation at position 16289G, was identified in the contemporary inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent (e.g. Chandrasekar et al, ; Witas et al, ). It is likely that haplogroup M4b1 was also determined, in a few cases from the Arabian Peninsula, in the direct neighbourhood of Syria (Abu‐Amero et al, ).…”

“…All of the steps of the molecular analysis were carried out in a laboratory dedicated to ancient DNA (aDNA) work in the Department of Molecular Biology at the Medical University of Lodz (Poland). The extraction and molecular analysis of the mtDNA was described by Witas et al (). The teeth (15, 18, 44, and 45—FDI numeration) of the studied individual were examined.…”

Carriers of human mitochondrial DNA macrohaplogroup M colonized India from southeastern Asia

“…Likewise, the presence of eastern Asian M lineages belonging to C, D, G and Z haplogroups, mainly in Finno-Ugric-speaking populations of north and eastern Europe, seems to be the footprints of successive westward migration waves of Asiatic nomads occurred from Mesolithic period to historic times, as documented by the Magyar occupation of the Carpathian basin at the 9th century (Lahermo et al, 2000;Tambets et al, 2004;Ingman and Gyllensten, 2007;Nádasi et al, 2007;Tömöry et al, 2007;Lappalainen et al, 2008;Derenko et al, 2010Derenko et al, , 2012Der Sarkissian et al, 2013). South Asian influences on the west have been also detected by the presence of M4, M49 and M61 Indian lineages in Mesopotamian remains (Witas et al, 2013). In addition, ancestral mtDNA links between European Romani groups and northwest India populations were evidenced by the sharing of M5a1, M18, M25 and M35b lineages (Gresham et al, 2001;Kalaydjieva et al, 2001;Malyarchuk et al, 2008;Mendizabal et al, 2011;Gómez-Carballa et al, 2013).…”