Genomic diversity and admixture differs for Stone-Age Scandinavian foragers and farmers.
Prehistoric population structure associated with the transition to an agricultural lifestyle in Europe remains a contentious idea. Population-genomic data from 11 Scandinavian Stone Age human remains suggest that hunter-gatherers had lower genetic diversity than that of farmers. Despite their close geographical proximity, the genetic differentiation between the two Stone Age groups was greater than that observed among extant European populations. Additionally, the Scandinavian Neolithic farmers exhibited a greater degree of hunter-gatherer-related admixture than that of the Tyrolean Iceman, who also originated from a farming context. In contrast, Scandinavian hunter-gatherers displayed no significant evidence of introgression from farmers. Our findings suggest that Stone Age foraging groups were historically in low numbers, likely owing to oscillating living conditions or restricted carrying capacity, and that they were partially incorporated into expanding farming groups.
Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden.
Pontus
P
Skoglund
Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden.
Helena
H
Malmström
Department of Archaeology and Classical studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden.
Ayça
A
Omrak
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 1350, Denmark.
Maanasa
M
Raghavan
Department of Archaeology, Environment and Community Planning, La Trobe University, Melbourne VIC 3086, Australia.
Cristina
C
Valdiosera
Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden.
Torsten
T
Günther
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden.
Per
P
Hall
Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre and University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia.
Kristiina
K
Tambets
Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre and University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia.
Jüri
J
Parik
Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, 405 30, Sweden.
Karl-Göran
KG
Sjögren
Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University, Lund, 221 00, Sweden.
Jan
J
Apel
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 1350, Denmark.
Eske
E
Willerslev
Department of Archaeology and Classical studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden.
Jan
J
Storå
Department of Archaeology and Classical studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden. tsarapkin@googlemail.com mattias.jakobsson@ebc.uu.se.
Anders
A
Götherström
Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden. Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden. tsarapkin@googlemail.com mattias.jakobsson@ebc.uu.se.
Mattias
M
Jakobsson
D000383:Agriculture / Q000266:history*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000266:history; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015894:Genome, Human; D023281:Genomics; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000266:history
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial