AI Article Synopsis

  • The origins of modern European mitochondrial DNA variation are complex, involving early Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers and later Neolithic farmers, but these factors alone don't fully account for current diversity.
  • Researchers analyzed mtDNA profiles from 364 individuals spanning prehistoric cultures in Central Europe, focusing on the period from the Early Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age.
  • The study identified four significant shifts in genetic composition during the Neolithic, highlighting the influence of Late Neolithic cultures on the genetic diversity seen in modern Central Europeans.

Article Abstract

The processes that shaped modern European mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation remain unclear. The initial peopling by Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers ~42,000 years ago and the immigration of Neolithic farmers into Europe ~8000 years ago appear to have played important roles but do not explain present-day mtDNA diversity. We generated mtDNA profiles of 364 individuals from prehistoric cultures in Central Europe to perform a chronological study, spanning the Early Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age (5500 to 1550 calibrated years before the common era). We used this transect through time to identify four marked shifts in genetic composition during the Neolithic period, revealing a key role for Late Neolithic cultures in shaping modern Central European genetic diversity.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4039305PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1241844DOI Listing

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