Scientists Have Made a Genetic Map of Ancient Immigrants

11:07, February 2, 2024

The study presents a visual representation of the migratory patterns that have influenced contemporary populations

A scientific team from 21 countries, including Pavel Kosintsev, a researcher at the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ural Federal University, has created a genetic map of the migration of ancient humans. The researchers created the map by analyzing 317 genomes of ancient people who lived in the first half of the modern interglacial (Holocene), 12000-4000 years ago. They also studied more than 1,600 images of ancient people from the genetic bank for the last 25000 years. The team published the map of migrants and the study's conclusions in the journal Nature.

"During the Holocene period, which began 12,000 to 10,000 years ago, the Western Eurasian territory was inhabited by hunters and fishermen. At that time, there were no livestock breeders or farmers in the region. However, farming and cattle breeding emerged in the Middle East, specifically in modern-day Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. Approximately 9,000 to 10,000 years ago, these cattle breeders and farmers migrated from Turkey to the Mediterranean, settling in what is now modern-day Greece. By 6,000 years ago, they had mastered all of Western and Central Europe, including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, Scandinavia, and Poland. They gradually displaced or assimilated hunters and fishermen who were still living in Western Europe at that time," says Pavel Kosintsev, a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology (UB RAS) and a Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Natural Science Methods in Humanities at Ural Federal University.

Cattle breeders and farmers appeared in the territory of modern Ukraine approximately 8000-7000 years ago. They arrived in the Urals and Trans-Urals about 4000 years ago. The development of Russia was more complex due to challenging climatic conditions for cattle breeding and farming.

"It is known that hunters and fishermen inhabited the territory of the Urals and Trans-Urals up to 4000 years ago, while cattle breeders were already present in the Volga region, Eastern Europe, and further west. The emergence of animal husbandry beyond the Urals is associated with the appearance of chariot cultures, specifically the Sintashta culture. In other words, cattle breeders with chariots migrated to the region. However, the situation is unclear because the chariots appeared miraculously without explanation", says Pavel Kosintsev.

Massive wheeled chariots appeared in the Middle East: Massive wheeled carts first appeared in the Middle East, specifically in Sumer and Babylon between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. They also appeared early on in the North Caucasus and the Volga region. However, these carts were heavy and had solid wheels without spokes, making them difficult to move. They were pulled by oxen.

"Wagons were present in our area 5,000 years ago, as evidenced by their discovery in burial grounds. Around 4,000 years ago, people in the Chelyabinsk region, including Arkaim and other settlements, began using not just wagons, but chariots. The chariot is a complex technological device that requires a sophisticated design for the harness and horse control, as well as technologically lightened wheels with spokes. Additionally, horses must be specially trained to ride in a chariot. It is evident that the chariot was not invented in a single day, but rather developed over a long period. The exact moment of its creation in the Urals is unknown, as there are no prototypes or traces found on burial grounds. The origin of chariots and their development in other regions is uncertain. The creators, location, and time of their creation remain unknown. This lack of information presents a mystery for science", explains Pavel Kosintsev.

Around 3500 years ago, following the development of the Urals, herders rapidly spread eastward across the steppe area and quickly reached the Yenisey River. Some of these immigrants then turned to Iran and India, bringing with them their cultural elements, including chariots.

In the Far East, migrants from China and Mongolia contributed to the mastery of cattle breeding and animal husbandry. However, a detailed reconstruction of the settlement history of this area is still pending.

"The article presents data on Western Eurasia, which includes the easternmost point reached by ancient people from the Middle East - Baikal. Our Far East and China are not considered in this study, as they will be the subject of a separate work that is already underway. The study aims to reconstruct the entire territory of human settlement in the Old World during the post-glacial period," states Pavel Kosintsev.

Reconstructing the world's genetic map is crucial due to the significant changes in modern nature that occurred after the end of the Ice Age 12,000 years ago. These changes were so profound that the current natural environment is vastly different from the one that existed during the time of the mammoths. As nature evolved, so did humans, who rapidly adapted to the new conditions.

"Humans had to adapt to the new environment both economically and behaviorally. During the period of warming, a social crisis arose in addition to the natural one. This led to the formation of a productive economy based on cattle breeding and animal husbandry in the Near and Middle East. As a result, people with this economy spread to the West and then, by the northern route, back to the East. 4000 years ago, a type of economy was formed in the south of the Urals, Western and Middle Siberia. By examining migration routes, we can gain insight into the formation of modern human society and economy, as well as the spread of genes," explains Pavel Kosintsev.

During this period, the Neolithic revolution occurred in these regions, marking the transition from an appropriating economy (hunting, fishing, gathering) to a producing economy (cattle breeding, farming). This led to the emergence of a stable system of food supply, which in turn allowed for the development of more complex social structures.

Anna Marinovich

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office.
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