2015/06/08 by Montserrat Hervella, Mihai Rotea, Neskuts Izagirre +8 · 3 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Forensic and Genetic Research #Race, Genetics, and Society #Genetic diversity and population structure #Peninsula #Middle East #Bronze Age #Ancient DNA #Geography #Balkan peninsula #Genetic structure #Gene pool #Human migration #Archaeology #Ancient history #Genetic variation #Biology #History #Population #Demography #Genetic diversity #Ecology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128810
openalex publication_date 2015/06/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The importance of the process of Neolithization for the genetic make-up of European populations has been hotly debated, with shifting hypotheses from a demic diffusion (DD) to a cultural diffusion (CD) model. In this regard, ancient DNA data from the Balkan Peninsula, which is an important source of information to assess the process of Neolithization in Europe, is however missing. In the present study we show genetic information on ancient populations of the South-East of Europe. We assessed mtDNA from ten sites from the current territory of Romania, spanning a time-period from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age. mtDNA data from Early Neolithic farmers of the Starčevo Criş culture in Romania (Cârcea, Gura Baciului and Negrileşti sites), confirm their genetic relationship with those of the LBK culture (Linienbandkeramik Kultur) in Central Europe, and they show little genetic continuity with modern European populations. On the other hand, populations of the Middle-Late Neolithic (Boian, Zau and Gumelniţa cultures), supposedly a second wave of Neolithic migration from Anatolia, had a much stronger effect on the genetic heritage of the European populations. In contrast, we find a smaller contribution of Late Bronze Age migrations to the genetic composition of Europeans. Based on these findings, we propose that permeation of mtDNA lineages from a second wave of Middle-Late Neolithic migration from North-West Anatolia into the Balkan Peninsula and Central Europe represent an important contribution to the genetic shift between Early and Late Neolithic populations in Europe, and consequently to the genetic make-up of modern European populations.