Ancient DNA reveals matrilineal continuity in present-day Poland over the last two millennia - PubMed (original) (raw)

Ancient DNA reveals matrilineal continuity in present-day Poland over the last two millennia

Anna Juras et al. PLoS One. 2014.

Abstract

While numerous ancient human DNA datasets from across Europe have been published till date, modern-day Poland in particular, remains uninvestigated. Besides application in the reconstruction of continent-wide human history, data from this region would also contribute towards our understanding of the history of the Slavs, whose origin is hypothesized to be in East or Central Europe. Here, we present the first population-scale ancient human DNA study from the region of modern-day Poland by establishing mitochondrial DNA profiles for 23 samples dated to 200 BC - 500 AD (Roman Iron Age) and for 20 samples dated to 1000-1400 AD (Medieval Age). Our results show that mitochondrial DNA sequences from both periods belong to haplogroups that are characteristic of contemporary West Eurasia. Haplotype sharing analysis indicates that majority of the ancient haplotypes are widespread in some modern Europeans, including Poles. Notably, the Roman Iron Age samples share more rare haplotypes with Central and Northeast Europeans, whereas the Medieval Age samples share more rare haplotypes with East-Central and South-East Europeans, primarily Slavic populations. Our data demonstrates genetic continuity of certain matrilineages (H5a1 and N1a1a2) in the area of present-day Poland from at least the Roman Iron Age until present. As such, the maternal gene pool of present-day Poles, Czechs and Slovaks, categorized as Western Slavs, is likely to have descended from inhabitants of East-Central Europe during the Roman Iron Age.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1. Locations of the Roman Iron Age (RoIA) and Medieval Age (ME) burial sites in the territory of present-day Poland.

RoIA (stars): Kowalewko (K), Karczyn (KA), Gąski (G), Rogowo (R). ME (triangles): Cedynia (C), Ostrów Lednicki (OL).

Figure 2

Figure 2. Frequencies (%) of haplotypes shared between Roman Iron Age individuals and sampled modern Europeans.

Grey bar- all shared haplotypes; green - informative haplotypes, which not differ significantly from the average frequency (p<0.05); graphite - informative haplotypes, which differ significantly from the average frequency (p<0.05). Abbreviations for populations: Poles (PL), Belarusians (BY), Russians (European part) (RU), Czechs/Slovaks (CZ, SK), Bosnians/Slovenians/Croatians (BH, SLO, HR), Bulgarians (BG), Macedonians/Serbs (MA, SI), Ukrainians (UA), Swedes (SE), Germans (DE), Lithuanians/Latvians (LT, LV), Estonians (EE), Finns (FI).

Figure 3

Figure 3. Frequencies (%) of haplotypes (matches) shared between Medieval Age individuals and sampled modern Europeans.

Grey bar - all shared haplotypes; green bar- informative haplotypes, which not differ significantly from the average frequency; graphite bar - informative haplotypes, which differ significantly from the average frequency (p<0.05). For population abbreviations, see Figure 2.

Figure 4

Figure 4. Multidimensional Scaling plot based on F_ST_ values calculated from mitochondrial haplogroup frequencies in sampled European populations.

Modern Slavic populations and other populations adjacent to Poles (black): for populations abbreviations, see Figure 2; ancient comparative populations (green): Danish (Iron Age) (DIA), Danish (Medieval) (DM), Neolithic (LBK, Germany) (NEO); present study populations (red): Roman Iron Age (RoIA), Medieval Age (ME).

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Funding provided by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education; grant N N303 406836, Estonian Research Council IUT24-1 and the European Regional Development Fund (European Union) through the Centre of Excellence in Genomics to Estonian Biocentre and University of Tartu. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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