Ancient genomes link early farmers to Basques

Mattias Jakobsson (Uppsala)
e-mail: mattias.jakobsson@ebc.uu.se
office: +46 18 4716449
cell: +46 767 698169

Torsten Günther (Uppsala)
e-mail: torsten.guenther@ebc.uu.se
office: +46 18 4714637
cell: +46 70 3905295

Cristina Valdiosera (Melbourne)
e-mail: cvaldioser@gmail.com
office: +61 394796575
cell: +61 416 000 657

Background
The Mesolithic/Neolithic transition is an important period in European prehistory since it represents a major change in subsistence strategies, notably the change from small and mobile hunter-gatherer groups to larger and sedentary farming populations. This transformation is arguably the basis of all complex sedentary societies and society as we know it today and it is often referred to as the Neolithic Revolution.

The origin and impact of agriculture in Europe has long been debated by archaeologists and has recently gained new insights from ancient DNA studies. We know that agricultural practices originated sometime around 11,000 years ago in the Middle East and the archaeological record shows that the ‘Neolithic package’ expanded into Europe and by 7,500 years ago, it had already reached most of Central Europe spreading later on into Scandinavia, the British Isles and along the Atlantic coast. However, it has long been debated whether the spread of these cultural and technological practices was achieved by spreading the idea of farming or by farmers populating the areas, that is via cultural or demic diffusion.

Different studies, including some from the same team reporting this new study, have already demonstrated, through ancient DNA evidence, that hunter-gatherers and ancient farmers are two genetically different groups, arguing for a population replacement of resident hunter-gatherers and therefore supporting the demic diffusion hypothesis. Some of these studies have also provided genomic evidence that Early Northern and Central European farmers are of southern origin. In addition, more recent genomic studies have shown that hunter-gatherers and farmers must have interbred and that both groups contributed to the modern day European gene pool.

Read more about the Jakobsson research group: Ancient DNA.

The researchers behind the study are associated with Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab). SciLifeLab is a centre for molecular biosciences with the focus on health and environmental research. The centre combines advanced technical know-how and state-of-the art equipment with a broad knowledge of translational medicine and molecular bioscience. SciLifeLab is a national resource and a collaboration between four universities: Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and Uppsala University in Sweden.

Extended image caption (related cave burial photo)
The unusual cave burial of the 6-year-old boy "Matojo" (ATP12-1420) from the Copper Age. The burial was found deliberately sheltered by large limestone blocks and three other blocks carefully protected the child´s head. The grave was scattered with grave goods suggesting a special status of this boy. The burial is covered by different ornaments, such as ceramics fragments of different sizes sealed with a green-like clay, vessel parts, flint flakes, a bone arrowhead, quartzite and, most surprisingly, the boy was left accompanied by an almost complete calf in anatomical position. This child possibly died of malnutrition as evidenced by a series of lesions in his skull and bones indicating the boy suffered from rickets and/or scurvy (Castilla et al, 2014) at different stages of his life. Credit: Eneko Iriarte