2026/03/25 by Yusuf Can Özdemir, Balázs Gyuris, Kristóf Jakab +19 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Forensic and Genetic Research #Genetic Associations and Epidemiology #Race, Genetics, and Society
paper · pdf · doi:10.64898/2026.03.24.713889
openalex publication_date 2026/03/25 · openalex created_date 2026/03/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Abstract The Altai region is a crossroads of the Asian steppes. However, the population history of the region remains understudied. We analyse ancient human genomes from the Altai and Ob regions, creating a ca. 1400-year-long time transect with 91 new data. We demonstrate an Iron Age genetic variety that continued into the Medieval era, with additional large-scale spread of East Asian genetic ancestry coinciding with the rise and spread of the Turkic cultural customs. Furthermore, we find a unique lineage in the Early Medieval Altai with elevated Ancient North Eurasian ancestry, providing a missing link between the North Eurasian hunter-gatherers and modern North Asian people. We identify distinct genetic patterns and connections among populations of the Mountainous and the Forest-Steppe Altai in the 4th-8th centuries.