Author
Victor Merz
Bio: Victor Merz is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Population & Domestication. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 6 publications receiving 559 citations.
Topics: Population, Domestication, Bronze Age, Ancient DNA, Steppe
Papers
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University of Copenhagen1, University of Cambridge2, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute3, Leiden University4, Harvard University5, Technical University of Denmark6, Al-Farabi University7, University of Chicago8, Karagandy State University9, University of Alaska Fairbanks10, Istanbul University11, Hazara University12, University of Gothenburg13, Russian Academy of Sciences14, Gazi University15, Islamia College University16, University of Exeter17, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa18, Irkutsk State University19, University of Alberta20, Paul Sabatier University21, University of California, Berkeley22
TL;DR: Analysis of ancient whole-genome sequences from across Inner Asia and Anatolia shows that the Botai people associated with the earliest horse husbandry derived from a hunter-gatherer population deeply diverged from the Yamnaya, and suggests distinct migrations bringing West Eurasian ancestry into South Asia before and after, but not at the time of, YamNaya culture.
Abstract: The Yamnaya expansions from the western steppe into Europe and Asia during the Early Bronze Age (~3000 BCE) are believed to have brought with them Indo-European languages and possibly horse husbandry. We analyze 74 ancient whole-genome sequences from across Inner Asia and Anatolia and show that the Botai people associated with the earliest horse husbandry derived from a hunter-gatherer population deeply diverged from the Yamnaya. Our results also suggest distinct migrations bringing West Eurasian ancestry into South Asia before and after but not at the time of Yamnaya culture. We find no evidence of steppe ancestry in Bronze Age Anatolia from when Indo-European languages are attested there. Thus, in contrast to Europe, Early Bronze Age Yamnaya-related migrations had limited direct genetic impact in Asia.
273 citations
American Museum of Natural History1, Paul Sabatier University2, University of Copenhagen3, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan4, University of Exeter5, University of Cambridge6, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna7, Centre national de la recherche scientifique8, Max Planck Society9, University of Tehran10, Tarbiat Modares University11, King Saud University12, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut13, University of Kansas14, Hartwick College15, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich16, Russian Academy of Sciences17, University of Potsdam18, Tallinn University19, Istanbul University20, National University of Mongolia21, Leibniz Association22, Al-Farabi University23, Wellcome Trust24
TL;DR: Data indicate that Przewalski’s horses are the feral descendants of horses herded at Botai and not truly wild horses, which indicates that a massive genomic turnover underpins the expansion of the horse stock that gave rise to modern domesticates, which coincides with large-scale human population expansions during the Early Bronze Age.
Abstract: The Eneolithic Botai culture of the Central Asian steppes provides the earliest archaeological evidence for horse husbandry, ~5500 years ago, but the exact nature of early horse domestication remains controversial. We generated 42 ancient-horse genomes, including 20 from Botai. Compared to 46 published ancient- and modern-horse genomes, our data indicate that Przewalski's horses are the feral descendants of horses herded at Botai and not truly wild horses. All domestic horses dated from ~4000 years ago to present only show ~2.7% of Botai-related ancestry. This indicates that a massive genomic turnover underpins the expansion of the horse stock that gave rise to modern domesticates, which coincides with large-scale human population expansions during the Early Bronze Age.
209 citations
Paul Sabatier University1, University of Copenhagen2, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan3, University of Cambridge4, Stanford University5, King Saud University6, University of Barcelona7, Hartwick College8, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research9, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut10, Autonomous University of Madrid11, University of Oslo12, National University of Mongolia13, University of Vienna14, University of Mainz15, Tarbiat Modares University16, Spanish National Research Council17, University of Lisbon18, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich19, University of Tehran20, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras21, Pablo de Olavide University22, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences23, Agricultural University of Iceland24, University of Potsdam25, Russian Academy of Sciences26, University of Gothenburg27, Pompeu Fabra University28, Samara State University29, Tallinn University30, Leibniz Association31, Humboldt University of Berlin32, ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon33, University of Oxford34, Centre national de la recherche scientifique35, Istanbul University36, Tbilisi State University37, University of Bordeaux38, Indian Council of Agricultural Research39, University of Edinburgh40, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg41, University of California, Santa Cruz42, University of Kashan43, University of California, Irvine44, University of Nottingham45, University of Exeter46, Max Planck Society47, University of Zagreb48, Karagandy State University49, University of Southampton50, Al-Farabi University51, deCODE genetics52, Université Paris-Saclay53
TL;DR: This extensive dataset allows us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian civilizations and finds that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, and the development of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity more dramatically than the previous millennia of human management.
174 citations
University of Cambridge1, Charité2, University of Copenhagen3, Karagandy State University4, University of Arizona5, National University of Mongolia6, Mongolian State University of Agriculture7, National Academy of Sciences8, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague9, Russian Academy of Sciences10, South Ural State University11, Stockholm University12, University of Gothenburg13, Paul Sabatier University14, Technical University of Denmark15, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna16, University of Giessen17, Erasmus University Rotterdam18, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute19
TL;DR: Phylogenies reconstructed using 12 hepatitis B virus genomes, which were recovered from ancient human genome data, reveal a complex history of hepatitis B evolution that is not evident when using only modern samples.
Abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of human hepatitis. There is considerable uncertainty about the timescale of its evolution and its association with humans. Here we present 12 full or partial ancient HBV genomes that are between approximately 0.8 and 4.5 thousand years old. The ancient sequences group either within or in a sister relationship with extant human or other ape HBV clades. Generally, the genome properties follow those of modern HBV. The root of the HBV tree is projected to between 8.6 and 20.9 thousand years ago, and we estimate a substitution rate of 8.04 × 10−6–1.51 × 10−5 nucleotide substitutions per site per year. In several cases, the geographical locations of the ancient genotypes do not match present-day distributions. Genotypes that today are typical of Africa and Asia, and a subgenotype from India, are shown to have an early Eurasian presence. The geographical and temporal patterns that we observe in ancient and modern HBV genotypes are compatible with well-documented human migrations during the Bronze and Iron Ages1,2. We provide evidence for the creation of HBV genotype A via recombination, and for a long-term association of modern HBV genotypes with humans, including the discovery of a human genotype that is now extinct. These data expose a complexity of HBV evolution that is not evident when considering modern sequences alone. Phylogenies reconstructed using 12 hepatitis B virus genomes, which were recovered from ancient human genome data, reveal a complex history of hepatitis B evolution that is not evident when using only modern samples.
148 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses and map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes.
Abstract: Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare1. However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling2–4 at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 bc3. Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia5 and Anatolia6, have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 bc, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association7 between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 bc8,9 driving the spread of Indo-European languages10. This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium bc Sintashta culture11,12. Analysis of 273 ancient horse genomes reveals that modern domestic horses originated in the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region.
83 citations
Cited by
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Harvard University1, Broad Institute2, 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
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
University of Copenhagen1, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute2, University of Cambridge3, Leiden University4, Harvard University5, Technical University of Denmark6, Al-Farabi University7, University of Chicago8, Karagandy State University9, University of Alaska Fairbanks10, Istanbul University11, Hazara University12, University of Gothenburg13, Russian Academy of Sciences14, Gazi University15, Islamia College University16, University of Exeter17, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa18, Irkutsk State University19, University of Alberta20, Paul Sabatier University21, University of California, Berkeley22
TL;DR: Analysis of ancient whole-genome sequences from across Inner Asia and Anatolia shows that the Botai people associated with the earliest horse husbandry derived from a hunter-gatherer population deeply diverged from the Yamnaya, and suggests distinct migrations bringing West Eurasian ancestry into South Asia before and after, but not at the time of, YamNaya culture.
Abstract: The Yamnaya expansions from the western steppe into Europe and Asia during the Early Bronze Age (~3000 BCE) are believed to have brought with them Indo-European languages and possibly horse husbandry. We analyze 74 ancient whole-genome sequences from across Inner Asia and Anatolia and show that the Botai people associated with the earliest horse husbandry derived from a hunter-gatherer population deeply diverged from the Yamnaya. Our results also suggest distinct migrations bringing West Eurasian ancestry into South Asia before and after but not at the time of Yamnaya culture. We find no evidence of steppe ancestry in Bronze Age Anatolia from when Indo-European languages are attested there. Thus, in contrast to Europe, Early Bronze Age Yamnaya-related migrations had limited direct genetic impact in Asia.
273 citations
University of Copenhagen1, University of California, Berkeley2, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais3, Technical University of Denmark4, Armenian National Academy of Sciences5, University of Alaska Fairbanks6, University of Ottawa7, University of Oxford8, University of Washington9, AmeriCorps VISTA10, University of Oregon11, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro12, Simon Fraser University13, University of Western Ontario14, University of Magallanes15, University of Texas at Austin16, University of Cambridge17, University of Tübingen18, University of São Paulo19, Kansas State University20, University of Santiago de Compostela21, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign22, National Park Service23, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics24, Southern Methodist University25, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute26
TL;DR: Analysis of the oldest genomes suggests that there was an early split within Beringian populations, giving rise to the Northern and Southern lineages, and that the early population spread widely and rapidly suggests that their access to large portions of the hemisphere was essentially unrestricted, yet there are genomic and archaeological hints of an earlier human presence.
Abstract: Studies of the peopling of the Americas have focused on the timing and number of initial migrations. Less attention has been paid to the subsequent spread of people within the Americas. We sequenced 15 ancient human genomes spanning from Alaska to Patagonia; six are ≥10,000 years old (up to ~18× coverage). All are most closely related to Native Americans, including those from an Ancient Beringian individual and two morphologically distinct "Paleoamericans." We found evidence of rapid dispersal and early diversification that included previously unknown groups as people moved south. This resulted in multiple independent, geographically uneven migrations, including one that provides clues of a Late Pleistocene Australasian genetic signal, as well as a later Mesoamerican-related expansion. These led to complex and dynamic population histories from North to South America.
211 citations