2022/05/04 by Pere Gelabert, Ryan W. Schmidt, Daniel Fernandes +8 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Arts and Humanities · #Forensic and Genetic Research #Genetic diversity and population structure #Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies #Cave #Steppe #Geography #Bronze Age #Beaker #Population #Colonisation #Archaeology #Ancient DNA #Population genetics #Demography #Colonization
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-11117-8
openalex publication_date 2022/05/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
The transition to agriculture occurred relatively late in Eastern Europe, leading researchers to debate whether it was a gradual, interactive process or a colonisation event. In the forest and forest-steppe regions of Ukraine, farming appeared during the fifth millennium BCE, associated with the Cucuteni-Trypillia cultural complex (CTCC, ~ 5000-3000 BCE). Across Europe, the Neolithisation process was highly variable across space and over time. Here, we investigate the population dynamics of early agriculturalists from the eastern forest-steppe region based on the analyses of 20 ancient genomes from the site of Verteba Cave (3935-825 cal BCE). Results reveal that the CTCC individuals' ancestry is related to both western hunter-gatherers and Near Eastern farmers, has no local ancestry associated with Ukrainian Neolithic hunter-gatherers and has steppe ancestry. An Early Bronze Age individual has an ancestry profile related to the Yamnaya expansions but with 20% of ancestry related to the other Trypillian individuals, which suggests admixture between the Trypillians and the incoming populations carrying steppe-related ancestry. A Late Bronze Age individual dated to 980-825 cal BCE has a genetic profile indicating affinity to Beaker-related populations, detected close to 1000 years after the end of the Bell Beaker phenomenon during the third millennium BCE.