Author
Kerstin Schierhold
Bio: Kerstin Schierhold is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Chalcolithic & Population. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 3 publications receiving 228 citations.
Topics: Chalcolithic, Population, Ancient DNA, Prehistory
Papers
More filters
Harvard University1, Hungarian Academy of Sciences2, Broad Institute3, University of Mainz4, Howard Hughes Medical Institute5, University of Adelaide6, Eötvös Loránd University7, Hungarian National Museum8, University of Pécs9, University of the Basque Country10, Free University of Berlin11, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut12, University of Basel13, Danube Private University14, Spanish National Research Council15, Max Planck Society16
TL;DR: Investigating the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe using a high-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA dataset with a total of 180 samples finds that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time.
Abstract: In European Neolithic populations, the arrival of farmers prompted admixture with local hunter-gatherers over many centuries, resulting in distinct signatures in each region due to a complex series of interactions. David Reich and colleagues analyse genome-wide data from 180 individuals from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods of Hungary, Germany and Spain to study the population dynamics of Neolithization in European prehistory. They examine how gene flow reshaped European populations during the Neolithic period, including pervasive admixture—the interbreeding between previously isolated populations—between groups with different ancestry profiles. In each region, they find that the arrival of farmers prompted admixture with local hunter-gatherers, over the course of 3,000 years. Ancient DNA studies have established that Neolithic European populations were descended from Anatolian migrants1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers3,4,5,9. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Here we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe using a high-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA dataset with a total of 180 samples, of which 130 are newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods of Hungary (6000–2900 bc, n = 100), Germany (5500–3000 bc, n = 42) and Spain (5500–2200 bc, n = 38). We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions. Our results shed new light on the ways in which gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modelling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.
278 citations
Harvard University1, Hungarian Academy of Sciences2, University of Mainz3, University of Adelaide4, Eötvös Loránd University5, Hungarian National Museum6, University of Pécs7, University of the Basque Country8, Free University of Berlin9, Danube Private University10, Spanish National Research Council11, Max Planck Society12
TL;DR: The highest-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA data set assembled to date is used and finds that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ances try among the three regions and through time.
Abstract: Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Using the highest-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA data set assembled to date --- a total of 177 samples, 127 newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Hungary (6000-2900 BCE, n = 98), Germany (5500-3000 BCE, n = 42), and Spain (5500-2200 BCE, n = 37) --- we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe. We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions. Our results shed new light on the ways that gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modeling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.
68 citations
Harvard University1, Hungarian Academy of Sciences2, University of Mainz3, University of Adelaide4, Eötvös Loránd University5, Hungarian National Museum6, University of Pécs7, University of the Basque Country8, Free University of Berlin9, Danube Private University10, Spanish National Research Council11, Max Planck Society12
TL;DR: This paper investigated the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe and found that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time.
Abstract: Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Using the highest-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA data set assembled to date---a total of 177 samples, 127 newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Hungary (6000-2900 BCE, n = 98), Germany (5500-3000 BCE, n = 42), and Spain (5500-2200 BCE, n = 37)---we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe. We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ancestry among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cultural transitions.
Our results shed new light on the ways that gene flow reshaped European populations throughout the Neolithic period and demonstrate the potential of time-series-based sampling and modeling approaches to elucidate multiple dimensions of historical population interactions.
15 citations
Cited by
More filters
TL;DR: Genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans is presented, finding limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and excludes migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions.
Abstract: From around 2750 to 2500 bc, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 bc. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain's gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries.
479 citations
Harvard University1, Max Planck Society2, University of Tübingen3, Hungarian Academy of Sciences4, Howard Hughes Medical Institute5, University College Dublin6, University of Vienna7, University of Coimbra8, University of Ferrara9, University of Adelaide10, University of Cambridge11, Trinity College, Dublin12, Broad Institute13, Emory University14, University of Florence15, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences16, Danube Private University17, Romanian Academy18, Centre national de la recherche scientifique19, Eötvös Loránd University20, Sofia University21, University of Oxford22, University of Wyoming23, University of Zagreb24, Pennsylvania State University25, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine26, Université de Montréal27, University of Bucharest28, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich29, University of Edinburgh30, University of Wisconsin-Madison31, University of Palermo32, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts33, Naturhistorisches Museum34, Russian Academy of Sciences35, University of Toronto36, University of Latvia37, Durham University38, University of Hull39, Grand Valley State University40, Columbia University41
TL;DR: It is shown that southeastern Europe continued to be a nexus between east and west after the arrival of farmers, with intermittent genetic contact with steppe populations occurring up to 2,000 years earlier than the migrations from the steppe that ultimately replaced much of the population of northern Europe.
Abstract: Farming was first introduced to Europe in the mid-seventh millennium bc, and was associated with migrants from Anatolia who settled in the southeast before spreading throughout Europe. Here, to und ...
447 citations
Broad Institute1, Harvard University2, University of Tübingen3, Max Planck Society4, University of Mainz5, University of Washington6, University of California, Berkeley7, Massachusetts Institute of Technology8, Stockholm University9, University of Adelaide10, The Heritage Foundation11, National Museum of Natural History12, Sultan Qaboos University13, University of Edinburgh14, University of Costa Rica15, University of Antioquia16, Rambam Health Care Campus17, University of Pécs18, Al Akhawayn University19, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart20, University of Oxford21, Belgorod State University22, University of Toronto23, University of Buenos Aires24, University of Bern25, Russian Academy of Sciences26, Paul Sabatier University27, North-Eastern Federal University28, University of Chicago29, University of Arizona30, Stony Brook University31, University of Bergen32, Illumina33, Sofia Medical University34, Bashkir State University35, University of Cambridge36, Vilnius University37, Estonian Biocentre38, University of Strasbourg39, Amgen40, University College London41, Gladstone Institutes42, University of Tartu43, University of Oulu44, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences45, University of Palermo46, University of Chile47, University of Tarapacá48, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan49, Armenian National Academy of Sciences50, University of North Texas51, University of Santiago de Compostela52, University of Kharkiv53, Higher University of San Andrés54, Novosibirsk State University55, Leidos56, Lebanese American University57, University of Split58, University of Pennsylvania59, Banaras Hindu University60, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology61, Estonian Academy of Sciences62, Pompeu Fabra University63, Howard Hughes Medical Institute64
TL;DR: The authors showed that most present-day Europeans derive from at least three highly differentiated populations: west European hunter-gatherers, ancient north Eurasians related to Upper Palaeolithic Siberians, who contributed to both Europeans and Near Easterners; and early European farmers, who were mainly of Near Eastern origin but also harboured west European hunters-gatherer related ancestry.
Abstract: We sequenced the genomes of a ∼7,000-year-old farmer from Germany and eight ∼8,000-year-old hunter-gatherers from Luxembourg and Sweden. We analysed these and other ancient genomes with 2,345 contemporary humans to show that most present-day Europeans derive from at least three highly differentiated populations: west European hunter-gatherers, who contributed ancestry to all Europeans but not to Near Easterners; ancient north Eurasians related to Upper Palaeolithic Siberians, who contributed to both Europeans and Near Easterners; and early European farmers, who were mainly of Near Eastern origin but also harboured west European hunter-gatherer related ancestry. We model these populations' deep relationships and show that early European farmers had ∼44% ancestry from a 'basal Eurasian' population that split before the diversification of other non-African lineages.
442 citations
Journal Article•
421 citations
Harvard University1, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study2, Broad Institute3, University of California, Berkeley4, Howard Hughes Medical Institute5, Massachusetts Institute of Technology6, Sapienza University of Rome7, University of Padua8, Queen's University Belfast9, Russian Academy of Sciences10, Al-Farabi University11, University of Pennsylvania12, University College Dublin13, University of Vienna14, Pennsylvania State University15, Max Planck Society16, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology17, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany18, Emory University19, Centre national de la recherche scientifique20, Kyrgyz National University21, Altai State University22, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic23, University of Oxford24, South Ural State University25, Kemerovo State University26, Northwest University (China)27, University College London28, University of Pittsburgh29, Samara State University30, Chelyabinsk State University31, University of Bologna32, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan33, University of Winnipeg34, Simon Fraser University35, National Museum of Natural History36, Tomsk State University37, Naturhistorisches Museum38, Národní muzeum39, Hazara University40, Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute41, Pompeu Fabra University42, Hartwick College43, University of California, Santa Barbara44, Washington University in St. Louis45
TL;DR: It is shown that Steppe ancestry then integrated further south in the first half of the second millennium BCE, contributing up to 30% of the ancestry of modern groups in South Asia, supporting the idea that the archaeologically documented dispersal of domesticates was accompanied by the spread of people from multiple centers of domestication.
Abstract: By sequencing 523 ancient humans, we show that the primary source of ancestry in modern South Asians is a prehistoric genetic gradient between people related to early hunter-gatherers of Iran and Southeast Asia. After the Indus Valley Civilization's decline, its people mixed with individuals in the southeast to form one of the two main ancestral populations of South Asia, whose direct descendants live in southern India. Simultaneously, they mixed with descendants of Steppe pastoralists who, starting around 4000 years ago, spread via Central Asia to form the other main ancestral population. The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the distinctive features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages.
354 citations