Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation.
Scandinavia was one of the last geographic areas in Europe to become habitable for humans after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, the routes and genetic composition of these postglacial migrants remain unclear. We sequenced the genomes, up to 57× coverage, of seven hunter-gatherers excavated...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2018-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003703 |
| _version_ | 1819176458828906496 |
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| author | Torsten Günther Helena Malmström Emma M Svensson Ayça Omrak Federico Sánchez-Quinto Gülşah M Kılınç Maja Krzewińska Gunilla Eriksson Magdalena Fraser Hanna Edlund Arielle R Munters Alexandra Coutinho Luciana G Simões Mário Vicente Anders Sjölander Berit Jansen Sellevold Roger Jørgensen Peter Claes Mark D Shriver Cristina Valdiosera Mihai G Netea Jan Apel Kerstin Lidén Birgitte Skar Jan Storå Anders Götherström Mattias Jakobsson |
| author_facet | Torsten Günther Helena Malmström Emma M Svensson Ayça Omrak Federico Sánchez-Quinto Gülşah M Kılınç Maja Krzewińska Gunilla Eriksson Magdalena Fraser Hanna Edlund Arielle R Munters Alexandra Coutinho Luciana G Simões Mário Vicente Anders Sjölander Berit Jansen Sellevold Roger Jørgensen Peter Claes Mark D Shriver Cristina Valdiosera Mihai G Netea Jan Apel Kerstin Lidén Birgitte Skar Jan Storå Anders Götherström Mattias Jakobsson |
| author_sort | Torsten Günther |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Scandinavia was one of the last geographic areas in Europe to become habitable for humans after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, the routes and genetic composition of these postglacial migrants remain unclear. We sequenced the genomes, up to 57× coverage, of seven hunter-gatherers excavated across Scandinavia and dated from 9,500-6,000 years before present (BP). Surprisingly, among the Scandinavian Mesolithic individuals, the genetic data display an east-west genetic gradient that opposes the pattern seen in other parts of Mesolithic Europe. Our results suggest two different early postglacial migrations into Scandinavia: initially from the south, and later, from the northeast. The latter followed the ice-free Norwegian north Atlantic coast, along which novel and advanced pressure-blade stone-tool techniques may have spread. These two groups met and mixed in Scandinavia, creating a genetically diverse population, which shows patterns of genetic adaptation to high latitude environments. These potential adaptations include high frequencies of low pigmentation variants and a gene region associated with physical performance, which shows strong continuity into modern-day northern Europeans. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:11:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18b577f2a9f24f74827ef3417c1b3fe9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1544-9173 1545-7885 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:11:05Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-18b577f2a9f24f74827ef3417c1b3fe92022-12-21T18:12:31ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852018-01-01161e200370310.1371/journal.pbio.2003703Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation.Torsten GüntherHelena MalmströmEmma M SvenssonAyça OmrakFederico Sánchez-QuintoGülşah M KılınçMaja KrzewińskaGunilla ErikssonMagdalena FraserHanna EdlundArielle R MuntersAlexandra CoutinhoLuciana G SimõesMário VicenteAnders SjölanderBerit Jansen SellevoldRoger JørgensenPeter ClaesMark D ShriverCristina ValdioseraMihai G NeteaJan ApelKerstin LidénBirgitte SkarJan StoråAnders GötherströmMattias JakobssonScandinavia was one of the last geographic areas in Europe to become habitable for humans after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, the routes and genetic composition of these postglacial migrants remain unclear. We sequenced the genomes, up to 57× coverage, of seven hunter-gatherers excavated across Scandinavia and dated from 9,500-6,000 years before present (BP). Surprisingly, among the Scandinavian Mesolithic individuals, the genetic data display an east-west genetic gradient that opposes the pattern seen in other parts of Mesolithic Europe. Our results suggest two different early postglacial migrations into Scandinavia: initially from the south, and later, from the northeast. The latter followed the ice-free Norwegian north Atlantic coast, along which novel and advanced pressure-blade stone-tool techniques may have spread. These two groups met and mixed in Scandinavia, creating a genetically diverse population, which shows patterns of genetic adaptation to high latitude environments. These potential adaptations include high frequencies of low pigmentation variants and a gene region associated with physical performance, which shows strong continuity into modern-day northern Europeans.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003703 |
| spellingShingle | Torsten Günther Helena Malmström Emma M Svensson Ayça Omrak Federico Sánchez-Quinto Gülşah M Kılınç Maja Krzewińska Gunilla Eriksson Magdalena Fraser Hanna Edlund Arielle R Munters Alexandra Coutinho Luciana G Simões Mário Vicente Anders Sjölander Berit Jansen Sellevold Roger Jørgensen Peter Claes Mark D Shriver Cristina Valdiosera Mihai G Netea Jan Apel Kerstin Lidén Birgitte Skar Jan Storå Anders Götherström Mattias Jakobsson Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation. PLoS Biology |
| title | Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation. |
| title_full | Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation. |
| title_fullStr | Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation. |
| title_short | Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation. |
| title_sort | population genomics of mesolithic scandinavia investigating early postglacial migration routes and high latitude adaptation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003703 |
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