The History of Slavs Inferred from Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequences

Abstract

To shed more light on the processes leading to crystallization of a Slavic identity, we investigated variability of complete mitochondrial genomes belonging to haplogroups H5 and H6 (63 mtDNA genomes) from the populations of Eastern and Western Slavs, including new samples of Poles, Ukrainians and Czechs presented here. Molecular dating implies formation of H5 approximately 11.5–16 thousand years ago (kya) in the areas of southern Europe. Within ancient haplogroup H6, dated at around 15–28 kya, there is a subhaplogroup H6c, which probably survived the last glaciation in Europe and has undergone expansion only 3–4 kya, together with the ancestors of some European groups, including the Slavs, because H6c has been detected in Czechs, Poles and Slovaks. Detailed analysis of complete mtDNAs allowed us to identify a number of lineages that seem specific for Central and Eastern Europe (H5a1f, H5a2, H5a1r, H5a1s, H5b4, H5e1a, H5u1, some subbranches of H5a1a and H6a1a9). Some of them could possibly be traced back to at least ∼4 kya, which indicates that some of the ancestors of today's Slavs (Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Ukrainians and Russians) inhabited areas of Central and Eastern Europe much earlier than it was estimated on the basis of archaeological and historical data. We also sequenced entire mitochondrial genomes of several non-European lineages (A, C, D, G, L) found in contemporary populations of Poland and Ukraine. The analysis of these haplogroups confirms the presence of Siberian (C5c1, A8a1) and Ashkenazi-specific (L2a1l2a) mtDNA lineages in Slavic populations. Moreover, we were able to pinpoint some lineages which could possibly reflect the relatively recent contacts of Slavs with nomadic Altaic peoples (C4a1a, G2a, D5a2a1a1).

The phylogenetic and geographic structure of Y-chromosome haplogroup R1a

“…54 This raises the possibility of a wide and rapid spread of R1a-Z282-related lineages being associated with prevalent Copper and Early Bronze Age societies that ranged from the Rhine River in the west to the Volga River in the east 55 including the Bronze Age Proto-Slavic culture that arose in Central Europe near the Vistula River. 56 It may have been in this cultural context that hg R1a-Z282 diversified in Central and Eastern Europe. The corresponding diversification in the Middle East and South Asia is more obscure.…”

The Slavic NBN Founder Mutation: A Role for Reproductive Fitness?

“…Czechs, Poles, Slovaks, Sorbs), and the Southern Slavs (e.g. Bulgarians, Croats, Serbs, Slovenes) (cited in [10, 11]). A recent study of autosomal, mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal data coined the existence of two sub-groups that presumably existed some 1900 years ago, namely the East-West Slavs (from Poland to the Volga river) and the South Slavs (confined to the Balkan Peninsula) [12].…”

Genetic affinities of Ukrainians from the maternal perspective

“…For further analysis, we united our new 607 samples, the 240 samples from Gusar (2006), and 159 samples from Mielnik-Sikorska et al (2013), which produced the total sample of N 5 1,006 Ukrainian mtDNAs. For further analysis, we united our new 607 samples, the 240 samples from Gusar (2006), and 159 samples from Mielnik-Sikorska et al (2013), which produced the total sample of N 5 1,006 Ukrainian mtDNAs.…”