DNA from the Bronze Age Altai reveals signs of ancient admixture

Angela

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The paper is behind a pay wall, and annoyingly even the tables aren't open access. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1872497314001161

The Altai Mountains have been a long term boundary zone between the Eurasian Steppe populations and South and East Asian populations. To disentangle some of the historical population movements in this area, 14 ancient human specimens excavated in the westernmost part of the Mongolian Altai were studied. Thirteen of them were dated from the Middle to the End of the Bronze Age and one of them to the Eneolithic period. The environmental conditions encountered in this region led to the good preservation of DNA in the human remains. Therefore, a multi-markers approach was adopted for the genetic analysis of identity, ancestry and phenotype markers. Mitochondrial DNA analyses revealed that the ancient Altaians studied carried both Western (H, U, T) and Eastern (A, C, D) Eurasian lineages. In the same way, the patrilineal gene pool revealed the presence of different haplogroups (Q1a2a1-L54, R1a1a1b2-Z93 and C), probably marking different origins for the male paternal lineages. To go further in the search of the origin of these ancient specimens, phenotypical characters (ie: hair and eye colour) were determined. For this purpose, we adapted the HIrisPlex assay recently described to MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. In addition, some ancestry informative markers were analyzed with this assay. The results revealed mixed phenotypes among this group confirming the probable admixed ancestry of the studied Altaian population at the Middle Bronze Age. The good results obtained from ancient DNA samples suggest that this approach might be relevant for forensic casework too.

The dating is about 1300 BC to 900 BC.
 
The detailed results have been posted by Jean Manco on her ancient DNA site.

11 remains from the Bronze Age-8 male, 2 female, 1 undetermined

YDNA:
R1a1a1b2-Z93-(4)
Q1a2a1-L54-(3)
C-M130-(1)

MtDNA:
H/U
H1b
H7e*
T1a
U4

A
D(2)
D2
D5a2
C4a1

1 sample is Eneolithic or Copper Age, 2700 B.C., and is yDNA Q-M242 and mtDNA R1b1*

Pigmentation: All had black or brown hair. All but one had brown eyes. The Z93/D2 man had blue eyes.

Source of data: Jean Manco's Ancestral Journey's website:
http://www.ancestraljourneys.org/ancientdna.shtml
 
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What I think is different is that so far the yDNA was all R1a1a, so far as I know, and we didn't have any subclades. Now we know that the Q lineages also had a big presence, and we know that the R1a is the Z93 version, which ties in with the Underhill paper's results.

I also think the paucity of mtDNA U4 and U5 is interesting.

Now we need the "Y" results from Andronovo.

Yes, I hope someone posts the pigmentation snps.
 
What I think is different is that so far the yDNA was all R1a1a, so far as I know, and we didn't have any subclades. Now we know that the Q lineages also had a big presence, and we know that the R1a is the Z93 version, which ties in with the Underhill paper's results.

I also think the paucity of mtDNA U4 and U5 is interesting.

Now we need the "Y" results from Andronovo.

Yes, I hope someone posts the pigmentation snps.

This confirms that R1a Z93 and the ancestral form of the Indo Iranian language came from eastern Europe. There is no doubt related people to the Andronovo culture, Sycthians, Tarim mummies, etc. are the source of the western ancestry of these samples.
 
What I think is different is that so far the yDNA was all R1a1a, so far as I know, and we didn't have any subclades. Now we know that the Q lineages also had a big presence, and we know that the R1a is the Z93 version, which ties in with the Underhill paper's results.

I also think the paucity of mtDNA U4 and U5 is interesting.

Now we need the "Y" results from Andronovo.

Yes, I hope someone posts the pigmentation snps.

Exactly;
Based on the Underhill study a few months ago it was already certain that Z93 was the Indo-European branch of the east (from the steppes); Hence that thread and discussion and thats why i said the corpses will always do the talking and that is pretty clear now; Next the Eulau (Corded-ware) R1a corpses should do the talking; The mtDNA results also just further confirm the already archaeologically known rule that the Female pop. was always largely pre-existing and not dragged into it;
 
Is this correct Angela - mtDNA R1b1*. I couldn't find reference on a mtDNA R1b1. I found a reference for mtDNA R1a1.
 
This confirms that R1a Z93 and the ancestral form of the Indo Iranian language came from eastern Europe. There is no doubt related people to the Andronovo culture, Sycthians, Tarim mummies, etc. are the source of the western ancestry of these samples.
This means that Z93 is NOT from Central Asia. And Z93 can't be from Eastern Europe either, because Eastern Europe has different VERY recent types of R1a and NOT ancestral to Z93 at all ! Also in Eastern Europe there are different Y-DNA haplogroups, like Mongoloid N1c1 and Europoid I2a. There's almost no I2a in Central Asia!!! Original R1a* is from West Asia, ancestral to European R1a and Central Asian R1a. Z93 in Central Asia is from the Iranian Plateau, maybe even from the Zagros Mountains. There was a migration from West Asia into Central Asia.
http://dienekes.blogspot.nl/2014/05/near-eastern-roots-of-south-asian.html
 
According to this study there was NO expansions from the Eastern Europe into Central Asia!!! http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0034288 "R1a1a-M17 diversity declines toward the Pontic-Caspian steppe where the mid-Holocene R1a1a7-M458 sublineage is dominant [46]. R1a1a7-M458 was absent in Afghanistan, suggesting that R1a1a-M17 does not support, as previously thought [47], expansions from the Pontic Steppe [3], bringing the Indo-European languages to Central Asia and India."
 
This proofs that Z93 in Iranian Plateau and Kurdistan is NOT from Central Asia BUT vice versa. Z93 in Central Asia is from the Iranian Plateau! Airyana Vaeja, the original homeland of (proto-)Iranic speaking Aryans was very mountanious, without sea. Since it's not in Central Asia, it must be in Kurdistan Zagros Mountains or Alborz Mountains in Northern Iran! http://dienekes.blogspot.nl/2011/05/solution-to-problem-of-indo-aryan.html
 
Is this correct Angela - mtDNA R1b1*. I couldn't find reference on a mtDNA R1b1. I found a reference for mtDNA R1a1.

I apologize, eb. I thought I had provided the link to Jean Manco's site, but I didn't. I've corrected the post above, but here is the site again.
http://www.ancestraljourneys.org/ancientdna.shtml








This is what she has listed for the one Copper Age sample from this site:
MongoliaTakhilgat Uzuur-5 [TU31]
Black/dark brown hair; brown eyes
M2742 BCQ-M242R1b1*16037G, 16311C, 16319AHollard 2014

I can't check the paper for myself because it's behind a paywall.
 
Is this correct Angela - mtDNA R1b1*. I couldn't find reference on a mtDNA R1b1. I found a reference for mtDNA R1a1.

I also wondered about that. I don't know a lot about DNA, but the tree of mtDNA R I looked at doesn't seem to have an R1b branch.

However, it's good to see some Bronze Age data from Altai. Now if we could just get some for the steppes.
 
I've an access to this paper (any paper), since my computer is linked to a university. And under the Mt HV1 haplotype (- 16000) of this (TU31) individual is written: 037G , 311C , 319A . He belongs to Y-DNA Q-M242 and mtDNA R1b1* . MtDNA R* is very old and ancestral to mtDNA pre-HV, JT and U.

About TU31 it says: "Two samples (TA12 and TU31) could not be assigned to particular haplogroups due to the selected SNPs included in the multiplex reaction. Nevertheless the search for theses haplotypes in our database showed that haplotype 16037G, 16311C and 16319A (TU31) was found in one Finnish individual. This individual belongs to the R* super-haplogroup but could not be affiliated to one specific haplogroup based on HV1 and HV2 sequences [20]."

mtdna.jpg

 
The R1b comes from the Uyghurs who came later into the Tarim Basin after the Ria folks were driven out during the Tang Dynasty when they tried to take over China. There are R1b folks in Khazakhstan.
You're talking about 'Y-DNA' my friend.
But TU31 belongs to R1b1* 'mtDNA'. So the discussion is about 'mtDNA' of TU31 fella.
 
The R1b comes from the Uyghurs who came later into the Tarim Basin after the Ria folks were driven out during the Tang Dynasty when they tried to take over China. There are R1b folks in Khazakhstan.

No, the data didn't say that person had Y haplotype R1b. It said he had Y haplotype Q and mtDNA R1b1*, and I didn't think there was such a thing as mtDNA R1b.
 
The Sogdians and the Uyghurs are different people. The Ones discussed are the Sogdians R1a folks. Uyghurs have R1b in their admixture but they came in later in the 12th century not the Bronze Age. The Bronze age are the Sogdians.
 
The Sogdians and the Uyghurs are different people. The Ones discussed are the Sogdians R1a folks. Uyghurs have R1b in their admixture but they came in later in the 12th century not the Bronze Age. The Bronze age are the Sogdians.
The individual we're talking about is 4,750 years old. He lived before the East Iranic Sogdians.
image.jpg

image.jpg
 
I apologize, eb. I thought I had provided the link to Jean Manco's site, but I didn't. I've corrected the post above, but here is the site again.
http://www.ancestraljourneys.org/ancientdna.shtml








This is what she has listed for the one Copper Age sample from this site:
MongoliaTakhilgat Uzuur-5 [TU31]
Black/dark brown hair; brown eyes
M2742 BCQ-M242R1b1*16037G, 16311C, 16319AHollard 2014

I can't check the paper for myself because it's behind a paywall.

Thanks for clarifying. I was mixing up another thread that was talking about the archaeological work of Kovalev in western Mongolia and the Chemurchek culture. kosmonomad had brought up that Kovalev was going to release yDNA of a bronze age man. "Two out of three afanasievans and one okunevan were R1b1 (M269), one afanasievan - R1b1. Kovalev has radiocarbon ages of many afanasievans: calibrated 3000-2600 b.c." I thought maybe the Hollard paper was about the same findings. If yDNA R1b was found in the Afanasievo culture and the burial practices of the Chemurchek culture are from southern France it is an interesting twist. kosmonomad may have misinterpreted the results and was really talking about mtDNA R1b1*.
 
The detailed results have been posted by Jean Manco on her ancient DNA site.

11 remains from the Bronze Age-8 male, 2 female, 1 undetermined

YDNA:
R1a1a1b2-Z93-(4)
Q1a2a1-L54-(3)
C-M130-(1)

MtDNA:
H/U
H1b
H7e*
T1a
U4

A
D(2)
D2
D5a2
C4a1

1 sample is Eneolithic or Copper Age, 2700 B.C., and is yDNA Q-M242 and mtDNA R1b1*

Pigmentation: All had black or brown hair. All but one had brown eyes. The Z93/D2 man had blue eyes.

Thanks for sharing.

No major surprise here. The samples date from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1350 BCE), which was an active period for the expansion of R1a-Z93 in Asia.

The European mtDNA haplogroups all match those that I have associated with the diffusion of R1a during the Bronze Age. C4a1 is interesting since we already had C4a2, C4a3 from Neolithic Ukraine and C4a6 from Bronze Age Ukraine. This would tend to confirm my theory that C4a was one of the original lineages brought from Siberia to eastern Europe by R1a tribes.
 

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