6533b837fe1ef96bd12a3340
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Population genomic analysis of elongated skulls reveals extensive female-biased immigration in Early Medieval Bavaria
Lucy Van DorpGarrett HellenthalJoachim BurgerZuzana HofmanováZuzana HofmanováKrishna R. VeeramahJens BlöcherChristian SellVivian LinkVivian LinkBernd PäffgenBrigitte Haas-gebhardBernd TrautmannAnja GairhosJochen HaberstrohMichaela HarbeckDaniel WegmannDaniel WegmannJoris PetersSaioa LópezAndreas RottMelanie GroßKarola Kirsanowsubject
0301 basic medicineHuman MigrationGenetic genealogyPopulationPopulation geneticsMigration PeriodGenetic analysisWhite PeoplePrehistory03 medical and health sciences0302 clinical medicineGermanyHumansEarly MedievalEast AsiaDNA Ancienteducationeducation.field_of_studyMultidisciplinaryPopulation BiologyWhole Genome SequencingGenome HumanGenetic heterogeneitySkullpopulation geneticsGenetic VariationGenomicsBiological Sciencesdemographic inferenceHistory MedievalpaleogenomicsGenetics PopulationPhenotype030104 developmental biologyGeographyArchaeologyHaplotypesEvolutionary biologyGenetic structureFemale030217 neurology & neurosurgerydescription
Significance Many modern European states trace their roots back to a period known as the Migration Period that spans from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages. We have conducted the first population-level analysis of people from this era, generating genomic data from 41 graves from archaeological sites in present-day Bavaria in southern Germany mostly dating to around 500 AD. While they are predominantly of northern/central European ancestry, we also find significant evidence for a nonlocal genetic provenance that is highly enriched among resident Early Medieval women, demonstrating artificial skull deformation. We infer that the most likely origin of the majority of these women was southeastern Europe, resolving a debate that has lasted for more than half a century.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-01 | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |