Ancient genomes of Srubnaya, Cimmerians, Scythians and Sarmatians(Science, 2018)

[Dibran]

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/10/eaat4457


Ancient genomes suggest the eastern Pontic-Caspian steppe as the source of western Iron Age nomads


Maja Krzewińska1,*,†, Gülşah Merve Kılınç1,*,†, Anna Juras2, Dilek Koptekin3, Maciej Chyleński4, Alexey G. Nikitin5, Nikolai Shcherbakov6, Iia Shuteleva6,7, Tatiana Leonova6, Liudmila Kraeva8, Flarit A. Sungatov9, Alfija N. Sultanova9, Inna Potekhina10, Sylwia Łukasik2, Marta Krenz-Niedbała2, Love Dalén11, Vitaly Sinika12,13, Mattias Jakobsson14,15,16, Jan Storå17 and Anders Götherström1,†


Science Advances 03 Oct 2018:
Vol. 4, no. 10, eaat4457
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat4457


Abstract


For millennia, the Pontic-Caspian steppe was a connector between the Eurasian steppe and Europe. In this scene, multidirectional and sequential movements of different populations may have occurred, including those of the Eurasian steppe nomads. We sequenced 35 genomes (low to medium coverage) of Bronze Age individuals (Srubnaya-Alakulskaya) and Iron Age nomads (Cimmerians, Scythians, and Sarmatians) that represent four distinct cultural entities corresponding to the chronological sequence of cultural complexes in the region. Our results suggest that, despite genetic links among these peoples, no group can be considered a direct ancestor of the subsequent group. The nomadic populations were heterogeneous and carried genetic affinities with populations from several other regions including the Far East and the southern Urals. We found evidence of a stable shared genetic signature, making the eastern Pontic-Caspian steppe a likely source of western nomadic groups.

Table S3. Summary sequencing statistics for mitochondrial variants for individuals sequenced in this study. 						
						
Individual	Site	Culture	Age (cal BC) 95%	Biological Sex	MtDNA Haplogroup	Y Haplogroup
chy001	Cherniy Yar	Late Sarmatian	55 - 140 CE	XX	H2a1	-
chy002	Cherniy Yar	Late Sarmatian	65 - 220 CE	XY	T1a1	R1a1a
tem001	Temyaysovo	Late Sarmatian	135 - 320 CE	XX	U5b2b	-
tem002	Temyaysovo	Late Sarmatian	125 - 240 CE	XY	D4q	R1b1a1a2
tem003	Temyaysovo	Late Sarmatian	130-320 CE	XY	U5b2b	R1b1a1a2?
scy006*	Starosillya	Scythian	ND	XX	D4j2	-
scy009*	Starosillya	Scythian	770 - 415 BCE	XY	J2b1a6	R1b1a1a2
scy010*	Starosillya	Scythian	790 - 540 BCE	XX	N1b1a	-
scy011*	Nesterivka	Scythian	355 - 115 BCE	XX	A	-
scy192*	Glinoe	Scythian	2863 - 2503 BCE	XX	H8c	-
scy193*	Glinoe	Scythian	ND	XY	U5a2a1	R1b1a1a2?
scy197*	Glinoe	Scythian	2885 - 2632 BCE	XY	U5a1a1	R1b1a1a2
scy300*	Glinoe	Scythian	397 - 209 BCE	XX	H5b	-
scy301	Glinoe	Scythian	392 - 204 BCE	XY	U5b2a3	R1b1a1a2
scy303*	Glinoe	Scythian	380 - 203 BCE	XX	U5a1a2b	-
scy304	Glinoe	Scythian	361 - 172 BCE	XY	U4*	R1b1a1a2
scy305*	Glinoe	Scythian	399 - 209 BCE	XY	U5a2b	R1b1a1a2
scy311*	Glinoe	Scythian	389 - 204 BCE	XX	T2b	-
scy332*	Glinoe	Scythian	248 - 391 CE	XX	M10a1a1a	-
cim357	Glinoe Sad	Cimmerian	914 - 805 BCE	XY	H9a	R1b1a
cim358	Glinoe Sad	Cimmerian	936 -809 BCE	XY	C5c (50%)	Q1a1
cim359	Mokra	Cimmerian	1008 - 838 BCE	XX	R	-
kzb001	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1735 - 1565 BCE	XX	U4b1a1a1	-
kzb002	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1875 - 1665 BCE	XY	J1c3a	R1a1a1
kzb003	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1765 - 1630 BCE	XY	H	R1a1a1
kzb004	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1750 - 1620 BCE	XX	U5b2a2	-
kzb005	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1880 - 1690 BCE	XY	HV0a	R1a1a1
kzb006	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1745 - 1620 BCE	XX	U2e2a1a2	-
kzb007	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1755 - 1630 BCE	XY	U5a1	R1a1a1
kzb008	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1880 -1690 BCE	XY	HV0a	R1a1a1
kzb009	Kazburun 1	Srubno-alakulskaya	1745 - 1620 BCE	XX	U4b1a1a1	-
mur001	Muradym 8	Srubno-alakulskaya	ND	XX	H2a1	-
mur002	Muradym 8	Srubno-alakulskaya	ND	XY	K1a4b	?
mur003	Muradym 8	Srubno-alakulskaya	1880 - 1685 BCE	XY	T2a1	R1a1a1?
mur004	Muradym 8	Srubno-alakulskaya	1885 - 1695 BCE	XX	J1c5e	-
(*) Individuals previously used in a study focusing on mitochondrial genomes (Juras et al.2017) and are thus reported elsewhere.

 

[markod]

So the classical Scythians were a very diverse bunch. Also complete Y-haplogroup mismatch with eastern Scythians. I wonder if they were R1b-Z2103?

 

[markod]

Scy192 & Scy197 are dated to ~3000 B.C. . Did the authors make a mistake here?

 

[halfalp]

Their lineage are pretty concordant with what we assumed until there, fusion between west eurasians ( mainly eastern european ) and siberians / east asians.

Are those the first Cimmerians sample that we ever had? Q1a1 and R1b1a, very interesting. Where is " Glinoe Sad? "

 

[50cal]

Are those the first Cimmerians sample that we ever had? Q1a1 and R1b1a, very interesting. Where is " Glinoe Sad? "

It's in Eastern Moldova.

 

[Angela]

So the classical Scythians were a very diverse bunch. Also complete Y-haplogroup mismatch with eastern Scythians. I wonder if they were R1b-Z2103?

Not just the Scythians.

[/IMG]

Not so sure about this mixing of ancient and modern populations, though.

 

[Jovialis]

https://www.gnxp.com/WordPress/2018...-predators-and-peasants-xenophobic-producers/

 

[Angela]

https://www.gnxp.com/WordPress/2018...-predators-and-peasants-xenophobic-producers/

I think he's over-generalizing in terms of the ethnic "cohesion" of the Germanic tribes and the fall of Rome. Yes, the Lombards were a folk migration, but we knew that even before ancient dna, from people like Peter the Hermit, for one thing, and even in their case they were joined by Saxon groups.

I'm not sure that the Goths and Vandals were folk migrations to the same extent. Ancient dna will tell us.

I do agree with his final conclusion:

"Which is to say that some of the characterizations of Late Antique barbarians as ad hoc configurations might apply more to steppe hordes."

That said, these actual "nomadic" groups (unlike the Germans, who were slash and burn agro-pastoralists) were certainly a blend autosomally.

Khan went on to say the following:

"Pure nomads are the least xenophobic and most open to various forms of cultural innovation. The Mongol horde rapidly expanded in the decades of Genghis Khan’s rule through assimilation of various Turkic and Tungusic peoples. Though Genghis Khan put his sons by his first wife Borte in all the major positions, competent individuals outside of his own family line were elevated to power and authority. We have enough evidence now that these social dynamics are also strongly driven by the reality of migrating males, who marry a variety of conquered peoples.

Though Mongols were religiously tolerant and relatively accepting of ethnic diversity so long as subordinate peoples did not rebel, they were fundamentally an extortive order where organized mass violence was always the weapon of first resort. They were almost certainly not atypical, but continuing an Inner Asian tradition which probably dates to the Bronze Age, and matured 1,000 years later with groups like the Scythians."

Wonderful, if they didn't commit genocide and wipe certain groups off the map they accepted them into the fold. OK.

 

[Dibran]

Their lineage are pretty concordant with what we assumed until there, fusion between west eurasians ( mainly eastern european ) and siberians / east asians.

Are those the first Cimmerians sample that we ever had? Q1a1 and R1b1a, very interesting. Where is " Glinoe Sad? "

The Q1a1 is quite interesting. These results seem to put a nail in the Coffin where some claimed Cimmerians for I2a1b.

 

[Dibran]

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According to people on Anthro who examined some of the samples:

scy304 is R1b-Z2103 (M12149/Y4371/Z8128+)
scy305 is R1b-Z2103>Z2106 (Z2106+, Y12538/Z8131+)
Supposedly scy197 and scy301 aren't R1b, but E-V13 and I2-Y7219, respectively.

 

[markod]

According to people on Anthro who examined some of the samples:

scy304 is R1b-Z2103 (M12149/Y4371/Z8128+)
scy305 is R1b-Z2103>Z2106 (Z2106+, Y12538/Z8131+)
Supposedly scy197 and scy301 aren't R1b, but E-V13 and I2-Y7219, respectively.

Additionally, the man of the autosomally North European cluster seems to belong to R1b-P312. So probably associated with late Urnfield or early Hallstatt expansions - perhaps an early Celtic or para-Celtic speaker.

I wonder if the Z2103 Scythians in this paper aren't just accultured Yamnaya remnants. The models prefer Andronovo as a source, but where did Z2013 come from?

 

[Maciamo]

Interesting paper. So the Sarmatians, Scythians and Cimmerians were all predominantly R1b (Z2103 presumably) with high percentages of mtDNA U5. I wrote a few years ago that the Cimmerians were most likely R1b, but I expected more R1a-Z93 among the Scythians and Sarmatians, especially considering their connection with Central Asia and the overwhelming presence of R1a-Z93 in Siberian Scythians (Pazyryks).

When we look at the chronology of the Pontic Steppe population through time, we witness constant population changes since Yamna, with R1b-Z2103 being the dominant paternal lineage, then the Srubna R1a-Z93 taking over the region in the Late Bronze Age, who in turn get ousted by a blend of R1b and Q1a Cimmerians, who are replaced by R1b-Z2103 Scythians and Sarmatians, who end up being in great part replaced by the R1a-M458 and R1a-Z280 Slavs. Not to mention the Q1a and R1a-Z93 Huns, who also passed through the region.

Autosomally the Scythians have more Near Eastern admixture while some Cimmerians have more Mongoloid admixture. I would have expected Mongoloid admixture to increase with time, as Hunnic-related tribes started expanding west, but the reverse is true, as the Cimmerians are the oldest of the three tribes.

 

[GloomyGonzales]

Semargl checked out bam files and it turned out that y-haplos were determined incorrectly especially for scythians and sarmatians.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bnVJujBs_bQu_dqSVi_dSXUuz9gNIYFX_XlqRrz92mo/edit#gid=0

chy002 Cherniy Yar Late Sarmatian 65 - 220 CE XY T1a1 R1a1a
tem002 Temyaysovo Late Sarmatian 125 - 240 CE XY D4q R1a
tem003 Temyaysovo Late Sarmatian 130-320 CE XY U5b2b R1a
scy009* Starosillya Scythian 770 - 415 BCE XY J2b1a6 R1b-P312
scy193* Glinoe Scythian ND XY U5a2a1 R1a
scy197* Glinoe Scythian 2885 - 2632 BCE XY U5a1a1 E1b
scy301 Glinoe Scythian 392 - 204 BCE XY U5b2a3 I2a
scy304 Glinoe Scythian 361 - 172 BCE XY U4* R1b-Z2103
scy305* Glinoe Scythian 399 - 209 BCE XY U5a2b R1b-Z2106
cim357 Glinoe Sad Cimmerian 914 - 805 BCE XY H9a R1a-Z93
cim358 Glinoe Sad Cimmerian 936 -809 BCE XY C5c (50%) Q1a1

kzb002 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1875 - 1665 BCE XY J1c3a R1a1a1
kzb003 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1765 - 1630 BCE XY H R1a-Z94
kzb005 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 - 1690 BCE XY HV0a R1a-Z280
kzb007 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1755 - 1630 BCE XY U5a1 R1a1a1
kzb008 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 -1690 BCE XY HV0a R1a-Z280
mur002 Muradym 8 Srubno-alakulskaya ND XY K1a4b R1a
mur003 Muradym 8 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 - 1685 BCE XY T2a1 R1a-Z93*

 

[halfalp]

Additionally, the man of the autosomally North European cluster seems to belong to R1b-P312. So probably associated with late Urnfield or early Hallstatt expansions - perhaps an early Celtic or para-Celtic speaker.

I wonder if the Z2103 Scythians in this paper aren't just accultured Yamnaya remnants. The models prefer Andronovo as a source, but where did Z2013 come from?

That sound very likely, Yamnaya, Poltavka, Catacomb were all R1b ( Catacomb is labeled R1b-V88, but it's probably a typo ). So i bet Scythians from Pontic Steppe gonna have plenty of R1b. The real question is, were those R1b are in modern context? Totally rip off by Northern R1a? or diluted into regional populations like Bashkirs and Udmurts?

 

[halfalp]

The Q1a1 is quite interesting. These results seem to put a nail in the Coffin where some claimed Cimmerians for I2a1b.

I guess Cimmerians from the extreme west of the Pontic Steppe could still be I2a(something), but Q1a1 in Moldavia, is actually... pretty insane, almost unbelievable. We have to wait to see if the lineage is confirmed. If it is, it changes again some beliefs about migrations.

 

[Dibran]

Interesting paper. So the Sarmatians, Scythians and Cimmerians were all predominantly R1b (Z2103 presumably) with high percentages of mtDNA U5. I wrote a few years ago that the Cimmerians were most likely R1b, but I expected more R1a-Z93 among the Scythians and Sarmatians, especially considering their connection with Central Asia and the overwhelming presence of R1a-Z93 in Siberian Scythians (Pazyryks).

When we look at the chronology of the Pontic Steppe population through time, we witness constant population changes since Yamna, with R1b-Z2103 being the dominant paternal lineage, then the Srubna R1a-Z93 taking over the region in the Late Bronze Age, who in turn get ousted by a blend of R1b and Q1a Cimmerians, who are replaced by R1b-Z2103 Scythians and Sarmatians, who end up being in great part replaced by the R1a-M458 and R1a-Z280 Slavs. Not to mention the Q1a and R1a-Z93 Huns, who also passed through the region.

Autosomally the Scythians have more Near Eastern admixture while some Cimmerians have more Mongoloid admixture. I would have expected Mongoloid admixture to increase with time, as Hunnic-related tribes started expanding west, but the reverse is true, as the Cimmerians are the oldest of the three tribes.

As GloomyGonzales mentioned. Semargl examined most of the bans and turns out these are the results. Link for the clades.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bnVJujBs_bQu_dqSVi_dSXUuz9gNIYFX_XlqRrz92mo/edit#gid=0



chy002 Cherniy Yar Late Sarmatian 65 - 220 CE XY T1a1 R1a1a
tem002 Temyaysovo Late Sarmatian 125 - 240 CE XY D4q R1a
tem003 Temyaysovo Late Sarmatian 130-320 CE XY U5b2b R1a
scy009* Starosillya Scythian 770 - 415 BCE XY J2b1a6 R1b-P312
scy193* Glinoe Scythian ND XY U5a2a1 R1a
scy197* Glinoe Scythian 2885 - 2632 BCE XY U5a1a1 E1b
scy301 Glinoe Scythian 392 - 204 BCE XY U5b2a3 I2a
scy304 Glinoe Scythian 361 - 172 BCE XY U4* R1b-Z2103
scy305* Glinoe Scythian 399 - 209 BCE XY U5a2b R1b-Z2106
cim357 Glinoe Sad Cimmerian 914 - 805 BCE XY H9a R1a-Z93
cim358 Glinoe Sad Cimmerian 936 -809 BCE XY C5c (50%) Q1a1

kzb002 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1875 - 1665 BCE XY J1c3a R1a1a1
kzb003 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1765 - 1630 BCE XY H R1a-Z94
kzb005 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 - 1690 BCE XY HV0a R1a-Z280
kzb007 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1755 - 1630 BCE XY U5a1 R1a1a1
kzb008 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 -1690 BCE XY HV0a R1a-Z280
mur002 Muradym 8 Srubno-alakulskaya ND XY K1a4b R1a
mur003 Muradym 8 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 - 1685 BCE XY T2a1 R1a-Z93*

 

[halfalp]

Apparently, for what i read in Anthrogenica, scy009 was R1b-L2, wich is very confusing for the geographic area... My prehistoric scythian cousin. ;D

 

[Johane Derite]

This is a collation of some stuff i read in other peoples comments. If the re-analysis of the BAM file for scy197 is correct as actually being EV13-CTS5865 then these are some relevant quotes from the article:

"A group of four individuals (scy192, scy197, scy300, and scy305) showed genetic similarities to southern European populations, hereafter referred to as a south European (SE) cluster"

"Calibrated ages were reported as years cal BCE or CE. For all but two samples (scy192 and scy197), reliable results were obtained. "

"ADMIXTURE analysis at K = 15 revealed that the Scythians belonging to the NE cluster had a more visible West Eurasian component that is highest in the northern populations, while Scythians that belong to the SE cluster had a more visible NEN genetic component, most commonly found in Neolithic Anatolian individuals. "

Scythians belonging to the SE cluster were closer to Hungarian Bronze Age and Iron Age individuals including Vatya and Maros. "

 

[Sile]

Interesting paper. So the Sarmatians, Scythians and Cimmerians were all predominantly R1b (Z2103 presumably) with high percentages of mtDNA U5. I wrote a few years ago that the Cimmerians were most likely R1b, but I expected more R1a-Z93 among the Scythians and Sarmatians, especially considering their connection with Central Asia and the overwhelming presence of R1a-Z93 in Siberian Scythians (Pazyryks).

When we look at the chronology of the Pontic Steppe population through time, we witness constant population changes since Yamna, with R1b-Z2103 being the dominant paternal lineage, then the Srubna R1a-Z93 taking over the region in the Late Bronze Age, who in turn get ousted by a blend of R1b and Q1a Cimmerians, who are replaced by R1b-Z2103 Scythians and Sarmatians, who end up being in great part replaced by the R1a-M458 and R1a-Z280 Slavs. Not to mention the Q1a and R1a-Z93 Huns, who also passed through the region.

Autosomally the Scythians have more Near Eastern admixture while some Cimmerians have more Mongoloid admixture. I would have expected Mongoloid admixture to increase with time, as Hunnic-related tribes started expanding west, but the reverse is true, as the Cimmerians are the oldest of the three tribes.

could any be goths since the goths where in the area from circa 100AD until their invasion of Roman lands

 

[berun]

Semargl checked out bam files and it turned out that y-haplos were determined incorrectly especially for scythians and sarmatians.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bnVJujBs_bQu_dqSVi_dSXUuz9gNIYFX_XlqRrz92mo/edit#gid=0

chy002 Cherniy Yar Late Sarmatian 65 - 220 CE XY T1a1 R1a1a
tem002 Temyaysovo Late Sarmatian 125 - 240 CE XY D4q R1a
tem003 Temyaysovo Late Sarmatian 130-320 CE XY U5b2b R1a
scy009* Starosillya Scythian 770 - 415 BCE XY J2b1a6 R1b-P312
scy193* Glinoe Scythian ND XY U5a2a1 R1a
scy197* Glinoe Scythian 2885 - 2632 BCE XY U5a1a1 E1b
scy301 Glinoe Scythian 392 - 204 BCE XY U5b2a3 I2a
scy304 Glinoe Scythian 361 - 172 BCE XY U4* R1b-Z2103
scy305* Glinoe Scythian 399 - 209 BCE XY U5a2b R1b-Z2106
cim357 Glinoe Sad Cimmerian 914 - 805 BCE XY H9a R1a-Z93
cim358 Glinoe Sad Cimmerian 936 -809 BCE XY C5c (50%) Q1a1

kzb002 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1875 - 1665 BCE XY J1c3a R1a1a1
kzb003 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1765 - 1630 BCE XY H R1a-Z94
kzb005 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 - 1690 BCE XY HV0a R1a-Z280
kzb007 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1755 - 1630 BCE XY U5a1 R1a1a1
kzb008 Kazburun 1 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 -1690 BCE XY HV0a R1a-Z280
mur002 Muradym 8 Srubno-alakulskaya ND XY K1a4b R1a
mur003 Muradym 8 Srubno-alakulskaya 1880 - 1685 BCE XY T2a1 R1a-Z93*

to add up the para-Scythians of the Altai tested in "Iron Age nomads of the Eurasian steppe": I0563 R1a-Z93 and I0577 R1a which cover cultures of the VII-IV BC; thereafter it is the "Sarmatian" of Prokrovka near the Ural river being R1b1a2a2, carrying the old Yamna subclade.

Also it's fine to take into account the suppossedly descendency of Alans or Scythes os Sarmatians, the Ossetines of th north Caucasus, in a sample of n=132 some 92 were G2a, 24 J2a and 6 R1b1b2... it's thought that they are the remnants of Alans taking refuge in the mountains after Goth or Hun or Avar or Magyar or Turkish taking their steppes.