Population genomics of Bronze Age Eurasia

Abstract

The Bronze Age of Eurasia (around 3000-1000 BC) was a period of major cultural changes. However, there is debate about whether these changes resulted from the circulation of ideas or from human migrations, potentially also facilitating the spread of languages and certain phenotypic traits. We investigated this by using new, improved methods to sequence low-coverage genomes from 101 ancient humans from across Eurasia. We show that the Bronze Age was a highly dynamic period involving large-scale population migrations and replacements, responsible for shaping major parts of present-day demographic structure in both Europe and Asia. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesized spread of Indo-European languages during the Early Bronze Age. We also demonstrate that light skin pigmentation in Europeans was already present at high frequency in the Bronze Age, but not lactose tolerance, indicating a more recent onset of positive selection on lactose tolerance than previously thought.

Population Genetic Analysis of the DARC Locus (Duffy) Reveals Adaptation from Standing Variation Associated with Malaria Resistance in Humans

“…We note these frequencies are substantially lower than those observed in contemporary East Asian populations. However, most of the Bronze Age Asian samples are from the Altai region in Central Asia, which have been shown to derive a large fraction of their ancestry from West Eurasia sources [56]. We also note that the only published ancient African (Ethiopian) genome is heterozygous for the FY Ã A allele, indicating FY Ã A was likely not introduced into East Africa due to recent back migration [50].…”

Reconstructing genetic history of Siberian and Northeastern European populations

“…Substantial changes in the Eurasian genetic landscape took place during the Bronze Age (around 5-3 kya), a period of major cultural changes involving large-scale population migrations and replacements (Allentoft et al 2015). The Yamnaya culture, associated with late Proto-Indo-Europeans, emerged during this time period in the Southwestern Siberian Ural region and the Pontic steppe region of Southeastern Europe (Allentoft et al 2015;Haak et al 2015;Jones et al 2015).…”

Holocene Selection for Variants Associated With General Cognitive Ability: Comparing Ancient and Modern Genomes

“…A second analysis was conducted to investigate the association between POLY COG and sample year within the subset of 66 ancient genomes for which radiocarbon age estimates were available (from Allentoft et al, 2015). If selection is operating on these variants throughout the 3.25 kyr covered by this sample, then less ancient genomes should have higher positive allele counts relative to more ancient ones.…”

“…Their genome-wide coverage is relatively low (0.01-7.4X average depth, overall average = 0.7X; Allentoft et al, 2015). There are 102 genomes in total; however, two samples (RISE507 and RISE508) were sourced from the same individual (Allentoft et al, 2015). The total allele count was therefore calculated employing the full sample, alternately using each version of the genome-the results of the two analyses were then averaged.…”