6533b82dfe1ef96bd12913cc
RESEARCH PRODUCT
The spread of steppe and Iranian-related ancestry in the islands of the western Mediterranean
Francesca CandilioBeatriz GamarraBeatriz GamarraDavid CaramelliAlissa MittnikMatthew FerryMatthew FerryMaria Teschler-nicolaMaria Teschler-nicolaKirsten MandlAlfredo CoppaRoberto MiccichèMario NovakSwapan MallickSwapan MallickSwapan MallickGianfranca SalisMartina LariGiulio CatalanoStefania VaiVittoria SchimmentiNick PattersonNick PattersonNadin RohlandNasreen BroomandkhoshbachtNasreen BroomandkhoshbachtNasreen BroomandkhoshbachtJonas OppenheimerJonas OppenheimerJonas OppenheimerRon PinhasiRon PinhasiMarián CuetoIñigo OlaldeOlivia CheronetOlivia CheronetMaria Rita PalomboMargherita MichelettiConstanze SchattkeEdgard CamarósCarla Maria CalòDouglas J. KennettBrendan J. CulletonKadir T. ÖZdoğanPau SuredaPau SuredaElisabetta MariniMarina LozanoLuis TeiraJens CarlssonVincenza ForgiaMichaela LucciDavid ReichCarles Lalueza-foxGabriella GasperettiLuca SineoAlessandra ModiDaniel FernandesDaniel FernandesDaniel FernandesRebecca BernardosIosif LazaridisKendra SirakKendra SirakMegan MichelMegan MichelKristin StewardsonKristin StewardsonDamià RamisMatthew MahMatthew MahMatthew Mahsubject
0301 basic medicineMediterranean climateSteppePastoralismPopulation geneticsgovernment.political_districtSettore BIO/08 - AntropologiaIranancient-DNA western mediterranean islands populationaDNA Human Ancient migrations Western Mediterranean Basin Steppe pastoralists Anthropology03 medical and health sciences0302 clinical medicineBronze AgeHumansDNA AncientSicilyEcology Evolution Behavior and SystematicsIslandsBalearic islandsgeography.geographical_feature_categoryEcologyAfrica; anthropology; emigration and immigration; Europe; humans; Iran; islands; Sicily; Spain; agriculture; DNA ancient; genome-wide association studyancientAgricultureDNAChalcolithicEmigration and Immigrationwestern mediterranean islands populationhumanitiesEuropeAncient DNA ; steppe ancestry ; western Mediterranean030104 developmental biologyAncient DNAGeographySpainAnthropologyAfricagovernmentancient-DNAEthnology030217 neurology & neurosurgeryGenome-Wide Association Studydescription
Steppe-pastoralist-related ancestry reached Central Europe by at least 2500 bc, whereas Iranian farmer-related ancestry was present in Aegean Europe by at least 1900 bc. However, the spread of these ancestries into the western Mediterranean, where they have contributed to many populations that live today, remains poorly understood. Here, we generated genome-wide ancient-DNA data from the Balearic Islands, Sicily and Sardinia, increasing the number of individuals with reported data from 5 to 66. The oldest individual from the Balearic Islands (~2400 bc) carried ancestry from steppe pastoralists that probably derived from west-to-east migration from Iberia, although two later Balearic individuals had less ancestry from steppe pastoralists. In Sicily, steppe pastoralist ancestry arrived by ~2200 bc, in part from Iberia; Iranian-related ancestry arrived by the mid-second millennium bc, contemporary to its previously documented spread to the Aegean; and there was large-scale population replacement after the Bronze Age. In Sardinia, nearly all ancestry derived from the island’s early farmers until the first millennium bc, with the exception of an outlier from the third millennium bc, who had primarily North African ancestry and who—along with an approximately contemporary Iberian—documents widespread Africa-to-Europe gene flow in the Chalcolithic. Major immigration into Sardinia began in the first millennium bc and, at present, no more than 56–62% of Sardinian ancestry is from its first farmers. This value is lower than previous estimates, highlighting that Sardinia, similar to every other region in Europe, has been a stage for major movement and mixtures of people.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-01-01 |