Ancient genomic time transect from the Central Asian Steppe unravels the history of the Scythians
Gnecchi-Ruscone G.A. Khussainova E. Kahbatkyzy N. Musralina L. Spyrou M.A. Bianco R.A. Radzeviciute R. Gomes Martins N.F. Freund C. Iksan O. Garshin A. Zhaniyazov Z. Bekmanov B. Kitov E. Samashev Z. Beisenov A. Berezina N. Berezin Y. Bíró A.Z. Évinger S. Bissembaev A. Akhatov G. Mamedov A. Onggaruly A. Voyakin D. Chotbayev A. Kariyev Y. Buzhilova A. Djansugurova L. Jeong C. Krause J.
March 2021American Association for the Advancement of Science
Science Advances
2021#7Issue 13
The Scythians were a multitude of horse-warrior nomad cultures dwelling in the Eurasian steppe during the first millennium BCE. Because of the lack of first-hand written records, little is known about the origins and relations among the different cultures. To address these questions, we produced genome-wide data for 111 ancient individuals retrieved from 39 archaeological sites from the first millennia BCE and CE across the Central Asian Steppe. We uncovered major admixture events in the Late Bronze Age forming the genetic substratum for two main Iron Age gene-pools emerging around the Altai and the Urals respectively. Their demise was mirrored by new genetic turnovers, linked to the spread of the eastern nomad empires in the first centuries CE. Compared to the high genetic heterogeneity of the past, the homogenization of the present-day Kazakhs gene pool is notable, likely a result of 400 years of strict exogamous social rules. Copyright
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Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, 07745, Germany
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
Laboratory of Population Genetics, Institute of General Genetics and Cytology, al-Farabi Ave., 93, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
Kazakh National University by al-Farabi, al-Farabi Ave. 71, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Center of Human Ecology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
Institute of Arсhaeology by A.Kh. Margulan, Dostyk Ave., 44, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Berel”, village Zhambyl, Katon-Karagay district, East Kazakhstan, 070906, Kazakhstan
Branch of Institute of Archaeology by A.Kh. Margulan, Republic Ave., 24, of 511, Nur-Sultan, 010011, Kazakhstan
Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Mokhovaya Str. 11, Moscow, 125009, Russian Federation
Department of Anthropology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Ludovika tér 2-6, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
Regional Center of History, Ethnography and Archeology of Aktobe region, Turgenev Str. 86, Aktobe, 030020, Kazakhstan
Aktobe Regional Historical Museum, Oraza Tateuly Ave. 3, Batys-2 microdistrict, Astana district, Aktobe, 030000, Kazakhstan
Scientific-Research Institute “Halyq qazynasy”, National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Tauelsizdik Ave. 54, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan
International Institute for Central Asian Studies, University Boulevard Street 9, Samarkand, 140129, Uzbekistan
Scientific Center “Altaytanu” of East-Kazakhstan State University by S.A. Amanzholov, Kazakhstan Str. 55, Ust-Kamenogorsk, 070004, Kazakhstan
School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
Department of Archaeogenetics
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Laboratory of Population Genetics
Kazakh National University by al-Farabi
Center of Human Ecology
Institute of Arсhaeology by A.Kh. Margulan
State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Berel”
Branch of Institute of Archaeology by A.Kh. Margulan
Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology
Department of Anthropology
Regional Center of History
Aktobe Regional Historical Museum
Scientific-Research Institute “Halyq qazynasy”
International Institute for Central Asian Studies
Scientific Center “Altaytanu” of East-Kazakhstan State University by S.A. Amanzholov
School of Biological Sciences
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