Biology subjects

Oberreiter, V.

Publications and source records attributed to Oberreiter, V..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Stable population structure in Europe since the Iron Age, despite high mobility

Ancient DNA research in the past decade has revealed that European population structure changed dramatically in the prehistoric period (14,000-3,000 years before present, YBP), reflecting the widespread introduction of Neolithic farmer and Bronze Age Steppe ancestries. However, little is known about how population structure changed from the historical period onward (3,000 YBP - present). To address this, we collected whole genomes from 204 individuals from Europe and the Mediterranean, many of which are the first historical period genomes from their region (e.g. Armenia and France). We found that most regions show remarkable inter-individual heterogeneity. At least 7% of historical individuals carry ancestry uncommon in the region where they were sampled, some indicating cross-Mediterranean contacts. Despite this high level of mobility, overall population structure across western Eurasia is relatively stable through the historical period up to the present, mirroring geography. We show that, under standard population genetics models with local panmixia, the observed level of dispersal would lead to a collapse of population structure. Persistent population structure thus suggests a lower effective migration rate than indicated by the observed dispersal. We hypothesize that this phenomenon can be explained by extensive transient dispersal arising from drastically improved transportation networks and the Roman Empires mobilization of people for trade, labor, and military. This work highlights the utility of ancient DNA in elucidating finer scale human population dynamics in recent history.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2022

A Genetic History of Continuity and Mobility in the Iron Age Central Mediterranean

The Iron Age was a dynamic period in central Mediterranean history, with the expansion of Greek and Phoenician colonies and the growth of Carthage into the dominant maritime power of the Mediterranean. These events were facilitated by the ease of long-distance travel following major advances in seafaring. We know from the archaeological record that trade goods and materials were moving across great distances in unprecedented quantities, but it is unclear how these patterns correlate with human mobility. To investigate population mobility and interactions directly, we sequenced the genomes of 30 ancient individuals from coastal cities around the central Mediterranean, in Tunisia, Sardinia, and central Italy. We observe a meaningful contribution of autochthonous populations, as well as highly heterogeneous ancestry including many individuals with non-local ancestries from other parts of the Mediterranean region. These results highlight both the role of local populations and the extreme interconnectedness of populations in the Iron Age Mediterranean. By studying these trans-Mediterranean neighbors together, we explore the complex interplay between local continuity and mobility that shaped the Iron Age societies of the central Mediterranean.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2021

Diverse northern Asian and Jomon-related genetic structure discovered among socially complex Three Kingdoms period Gaya region Koreans

The genetic history of prehistoric and protohistoric Korean populations is not well understood due to the lack of ancient Korean genomes. Here, we report the first paleogenomic data from Korea; eight shotgun-sequenced genomes (0.7x[~]6.1x coverage) from two archeological sites in Gimhae: Yuha-ri shell mound and Daesung-dong tumuli, the most important funerary complex of the Gaya confederacy. All eight individuals are from the Korean Three Kingdoms period (4th-7th century CE), during which there is archaeological evidence of extensive trade connections with both northern (modern-day China) and eastern (modern-day Japan) kingdoms. All genomes are best modeled as an admixture between a northern-Chinese Iron Age genetic source and a Japanese-Jomon-related ancestry. The proportion of Jomon-related ancestry suggests the presence of two genetic groups within the population. The observed substructure indicates diversity among the Gaya population that is not related to either social status or sex. Teaser1,700-year-old genomes reveal the genetic diversity of ancient Koreans in the Gimhae region.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Genome-scale sequencing and analysis of human, wolf and bison DNA from 25,000 year-old sediment

Archaeological sediments have been shown to preserve ancient DNA, but so far have not yielded genome-scale information of the magnitude of skeletal remains. We retrieved and analysed human and mammalian low-coverage nuclear and high-coverage mitochondrial genomes from Upper Palaeolithic sediments from Satsurblia cave, western Georgia, dated to 25,000 years ago. First, a human female genome with substantial basal Eurasian ancestry, which was an ancestry component of the majority of post-Ice Age people in the Near East, North Africa, and parts of Europe. Second, a wolf genome that is basal to extant Eurasian wolves and dogs and represents a previously unknown, likely extinct, Caucasian lineage that diverged from the ancestors of modern wolves and dogs before these diversified. Third, a bison genome that is basal to present-day populations, suggesting that population structure has been substantially reshaped since the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results provide new insights into the late Pleistocene genetic histories of these three species, and demonstrate that sediment DNA can be used not only for species identification, but also be a source of genome-wide ancestry information and genetic history. HighlightsO_LIWe demonstrate for the first time that genome sequencing from sediments is comparable to that of skeletal remains C_LIO_LIA single Pleistocene sediment sample from the Caucasus yielded three low-coverage mammalian ancient genomes C_LIO_LIWe show that sediment ancient DNA can reveal important aspects of the human and faunal past C_LIO_LIEvidence of an uncharacterized human lineage from the Caucasus before the Last Glacial Maximum C_LIO_LI[~]0.01-fold coverage wolf and bison genomes are both basal to present-day diversity, suggesting reshaping of population structure in both species C_LI

developmental biology↗