Structure of mtDNA haplogroup A10 lineages from Baraba Bronze Age individuals analyzed in this study.

<p>Structure of mtDNA haplogroup A10 lineages from Baraba Bronze Age individuals analyzed in this study.</p

MtDNA Haplogroup A10 Lineages in Bronze Age Samples Suggest That Ancient Autochthonous Human Groups Contributed to the Specificity of the Indigenous West Siberian Population

<div><p>Background</p><p>The craniometric specificity of the indigenous West Siberian human populations cannot be completely explained by the genetic interactions of the western and eastern Eurasian groups recorded in the archaeology of the area from the beginning of the 2^nd millennium BC. Anthropologists have proposed another probable explanation: contribution to the genetic structure of West Siberian indigenous populations by ancient human groups, which separated from western and eastern Eurasian populations before the final formation of their phenotypic and genetic features and evolved independently in the region over a long period of time. This hypothesis remains untested. From the genetic point of view, it could be confirmed by the presence in the gene pool of indigenous populations of autochthonous components that evolved in the region over long time periods. The detection of such components, particularly in the mtDNA gene pool, is crucial for further clarification of early regional genetic history.</p><p>Results and Conclusion</p><p>We present the results of analysis of mtDNA samples (n = 10) belonging to the A10 haplogroup, from Bronze Age populations of West Siberian forest-steppe (V—I millennium BC), that were identified in a screening study of a large diachronic sample (n = 96). A10 lineages, which are very rare in modern Eurasian populations, were found in all the Bronze Age groups under study. Data on the A10 lineages’ phylogeny and phylogeography in ancient West Siberian and modern Eurasian populations suggest that A10 haplogroup underwent a long-term evolution in West Siberia or arose there autochthonously; thus, the presence of A10 lineages indicates the possible contribution of early autochthonous human groups to the genetic specificity of modern populations, in addition to contributions of later interactions of western and eastern Eurasian populations.</p></div

Phylogenetic tree of mtDNA haplogroup A10 lineages from modern and ancient populations of Eurasia.

<p>Ascription to the populations showed by colors: grey—modern populations of Eurasia (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.s003" target="_blank">S3 Table</a> for details); yellow—Ust-Tartas culture; pink—Odinovo culture; blue—Krotovo culture; dark blue—Late Krotovo culture; green—Andronovo (Fedorovo) culture; dark green—Pakhomovo culture.</p

The Bronze Age cultural groups from West Siberian forest-steppe region analyzed in this study (see also S2 File).

<p>The Bronze Age cultural groups from West Siberian forest-steppe region analyzed in this study (see also <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.s005" target="_blank">S2 File</a>).</p

Geographic localization of modern Eurasian human populations with mtDNA haplogroup A10 lineages in gene pools.

<p>1—Mansi [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref021" target="_blank">21</a>]; 2—Nganasans [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref022" target="_blank">22</a>]; 3—Dolgans [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref022" target="_blank">22</a>]; 4—Evenks [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref022" target="_blank">22</a>]; 5—Siberian Tatars [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref023" target="_blank">23</a>]; 6—Bashkirs [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref024" target="_blank">24</a>]; 7—Tatars [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref018" target="_blank">18</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref024" target="_blank">24</a>]; 8—Chuvash [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref024" target="_blank">24</a>]; 9—Mari [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref024" target="_blank">24</a>]; 10—Nogays [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref025" target="_blank">25</a>]; 11—Tadjiks [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref022" target="_blank">22</a>]; 12—Afghanistan Hazara and Uzbeks [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref020" target="_blank">20</a>]; 13—population of Italian Alps [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127182#pone.0127182.ref019" target="_blank">19</a>]; 14—ancient Baraba forest-steppe populations.</p

Location of the archaeological sites from which samples for this study were obtained.

<p>Location of the archaeological sites from which samples for this study were obtained.</p

Maternal genetic features of the Iron Age Tagar population from Southern Siberia (1st millennium BC).

Early nomads in the Eurasian steppes since the beginning of the 1st millennium BC played a key role in the formation of the cultural and genetic landscape of populations of a significant part of Eurasia, from Eastern Europe to Eastern Central Asia. Numerous archaeological cultures associated with early nomads have been discovered throughout the Eurasian steppe belt. The Tagar archaeological culture existed in the Minusinsk basin (Sayan Mountains, Southern Siberia, Russia) in the northeastern periphery of the Eurasian steppe belt from the 8th to 1st century BC during the pre-Scythian, Scythian, and Early Xiongnu-Sarmatian periods. In this study, we evaluated mtDNA diversity in the Tagar population based on representative series (N = 79) belonging to all chronological stages of the culture. The Tagar population had a mixed mtDNA pool dominated by Western Eurasian haplogroups and subgroups (H, HV6, HV*, I, K, T, U2e, U4, U5a, and U*) and, to a lesser degree, Eastern Eurasian haplogroups (A*, A8, C*, C5, D, G2a, and F1b). The Tagar population showed a similar mtDNA pool structure to those of other Iron Age populations representing the "Scythian World." We observed particularly high similarity between the Tagar and Classic Scythians from the North Pontic region. Our results support the assumption that genetic components introduced by Bronze Age migrants from Western Eurasia contributed to the formation of the genetic composition of Scythian period populations in Southern Siberia. Another important component of the Tagar mtDNA pool was autochthonous East Eurasian lineages, some of which (A8 and C4a2a) are potential markers of the westward genetic influence of the eastern populations of the Scythian period. Our results suggest a genetic continuity (at least partial) between the Early, Middle, and Late Tagar populations

Un art rupestre paléolithique au-delà de l’Oural ?

L’estimation chronologique de figures rupestres sur des critères stylistiques, a fortiori lorsqu’un âge très ancien est supposé, est difficile à faire valoir. C’est le cas des représentations animalières en plein air du sud de l’Altaï et du nord-ouest de la Mongolie présentant certains caractères compatibles avec les canons de l’art paléolithique. À défaut de pouvoir dater directement ces pétroglyphes, différents registres d’expertise ont été explorés, à la fois sur leur facture (outils de pierre), leur substrat, leur implantation topographique et leur accessibilité passée (rochers libérés des glaciers avant la fin du Paléolithique supérieur), afin de décliner les objections pouvant être immédiatement opposées aux comparaisons graphiques. Cette approche interdisciplinaire, mobilisant microscopie, tracéo-technologie, imagerie 2D et 3D, SIG, géomorphologie et datations cosmogéniques, a été mise en œuvre dans le cadre du laboratoire international associé franco-russe ARTEMIR.Chronological estimation of rock art figures based on stylistical criterias, especially when a very ancient age is suspected, is never easy to argue. This is the case of animal representations of Southern Altai and North-Western Mongolia, presenting characteristics compatible with the canon of Palaeolithic Art. In the absence of direct dating of these petroglyphs, different approaches have been undertaken, dealing at the same time with technic (lithic tools), substrate, topographical location and past accessibility (rocks released from glaciers before the end of the Upper Palaeolithic) in order to reduce the main objections that may be opposed to graphic comparisons. This interdisciplinary approach, involving microscopy, traceo-technology, 2D and 3D imagery, geomorphology and cosmogenic dating, has been done in the framework of the franco-russian Associated International Laboratory (LIA) ARTEMIR

High genetic diversity of ancient horses from the Ukok Plateau.

A growing number of researchers studying horse domestication come to a conclusion that this process happened in multiple locations and involved multiple wild maternal lines. The most promising approach to address this problem involves mitochondrial haplotype comparison of wild and domestic horses from various locations coupled with studies of possible migration routes of the ancient shepherds. Here, we sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes of six horses from burials of the Ukok plateau (Russia, Altai Mountains) dated from 2.7 to 1.4 thousand years before present and a single late Pleistocene wild horse from the neighboring region (Denisova cave). Sequencing data indicates that the wild horse belongs to an extinct pre-domestication lineage. Integration of the domestic horse data with known Eurasian haplotypes of a similar age revealed two distinct groups: the first one widely distributed in Europe and presumably imported to Altai, and the second one specific for Altai Mountains and surrounding area