Between the Baltic and Danubian worlds : the genetic affinities of a middle neolithic population from Central Poland

For a long time, anthropological and genetic research on the Neolithic revolution in Europe was mainly concentrated on the mechanism of agricultural dispersal over different parts of the continent. Recently, attention has shifted towards population processes that occurred after the arrival of the first farmers, transforming the genetically very distinctive early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) and Mesolithic forager populations into present-day Central Europeans. The latest studies indicate that significant changes in this respect took place within the post-Linear Pottery cultures of the Early and Middle Neolithic which were a bridge between the allochthonous LBK and the first indigenous Neolithic culture of north-central Europe-the Funnel Beaker culture (TRB). The paper presents data on mtDNA haplotypes of a Middle Neolithic population dated to 4700/4600-4100/4000 BC belonging to the Brześć Kujawski Group of the Lengyel culture (BKG) from the Kuyavia region in north-central Poland. BKG communities constituted the border of the “Danubian World” in this part of Europe for approx. seven centuries, neighboring foragers of the North European Plain and the southern Baltic basin. MtDNA haplogroups were determined in 11 individuals, and four mtDNA macrohaplogroups were found (H, U5, T, and HV0). The overall haplogroup pattern did not deviate from other post-Linear Pottery populations from central Europe, although a complete lack of N1a and the presence of U5a are noteworthy. Of greatest importance is the observed link between the BKG and the TRB horizon, confirmed by an independent analysis of the craniometric variation of Mesolithic and Neolithic populations inhabiting central Europe. Estimated phylogenetic pattern suggests significant contribution of the post-Linear BKG communities to the origin of the subsequent Middle Neolithic cultures, such as the TRB

Molecular anthropology: Touching the past through ancient DNA retrieval. Methodological aspects

The revolution which introduced new techniques of molecular biology applied to DNA analysis enormously accelerated the progress in most areas of medicine and biology. Techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction analysis and sequencing are widely used for diagnosis of a number od diseases, for genetic screening, phylogenetic analysis and population studies. Moreover, it became possible to study genetic realationships of extinct to contemporary organisms and even to follow evolutionary events. Variation in DNA sequences, especially that of humans, is fascinating not only for our own sake, but also because of the inferences that can be drawn from t about our recent evolution, demography and movements. Selected problems arising during ancient DNA (aDNA) isolation and analysis are discussed. Environment and time related factors altering the structure of nucleic acids as well as contamination of isolated material are among methodological problems that arise during the procedure of isolation and processing of aDNA. Resolving them is of great importance for the authentication of the identified sequences. Most common informative targets of aDNA are presented and among them mtDNA, and the sequences localized within nuclear DNA.The first, as well as the most important findings in the field are mentioned

Hunting for the LCT-13910*T Allele between the Middle Neolithic and the Middle Ages Suggests Its Absence in Dairying LBK People Entering the Kuyavia Region in the 8th Millennium BP

<div><p>Populations from two medieval sites in Central Poland, Stary Brześć Kujawski-4 (SBK-4) and Gruczno, represented high level of lactase persistence (LP) as followed by the LCT-13910*T allele’s presence (0.86 and 0.82, respectively). It was twice as high as in contemporaneous Cedynia (0.4) and Śródka (0.43), both located outside the region, higher than in modern inhabitants of Poland (0.51) and almost as high as in modern Swedish population (0.9). In an attempt to explain the observed differences its frequency changes in time were followed between the Middle Neolithic and the Late Middle Ages in successive dairying populations on a relatively small area (radius ∼60km) containing the two sites. The introduction of the T allele to Kuyavia 7.4 Ka BP by dairying LBK people is not likely, as suggested by the obtained data. It has not been found in any of Neolithic samples dated between 6.3 and 4.5 Ka BP. The identified frequency profile indicates that both the introduction and the beginning of selection could have taken place approx. 4 millennia after first LBK people arrived in the region, shifting the value of LP frequency from 0 to more than 0.8 during less than 130 generations. We hypothesize that the selection process of the T allele was rather rapid, starting just after its introduction into already milking populations and operated <i>via</i> high rates of fertility and mortality on children after weaning through life-threatening conditions, favoring lactose-tolerant individuals. Facing the lack of the T allele in people living on two great European Neolithization routes, the Danubian and Mediterranean ones, and based on its high frequency in northern Iberia, its presence in Scandinavia and estimated occurrence in Central Poland, we propose an alternative Northern Route of its spreading as very likely. None of the successfully identified nuclear alleles turned out to be deltaF508 CFTR.</p></div

mtDNA from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman Period Suggests a Genetic Link between the Indian Subcontinent and Mesopotamian Cradle of Civilization

<div><p>Ancient DNA methodology was applied to analyse sequences extracted from freshly unearthed remains (teeth) of 4 individuals deeply deposited in slightly alkaline soil of the Tell Ashara (ancient Terqa) and Tell Masaikh (ancient Kar-Assurnasirpal) Syrian archaeological sites, both in the middle Euphrates valley. Dated to the period between 2.5 Kyrs BC and 0.5 Kyrs AD the studied individuals carried mtDNA haplotypes corresponding to the M4b1, M49 and/or M61 haplogroups, which are believed to have arisen in the area of the Indian subcontinent during the Upper Paleolithic and are absent in people living today in Syria. However, they are present in people inhabiting today’s Tibet, Himalayas, India and Pakistan. We anticipate that the analysed remains from Mesopotamia belonged to people with genetic affinity to the Indian subcontinent since the distribution of identified ancient haplotypes indicates solid link with populations from the region of South Asia-Tibet (Trans-Himalaya). They may have been descendants of migrants from much earlier times, spreading the clades of the macrohaplogroup M throughout Eurasia and founding regional Mesopotamian groups like that of Terqa or just merchants moving along trade routes passing near or through the region. None of the successfully identified nuclear alleles turned out to be ΔF508 CFTR, LCT-13910T or Δ32 CCR5.</p></div

Analysis of medieval mtDNA from Napole cemetery provides new insights into the early history of Polish state

Contemporary historical anthropology and classical archaeology are concerned not only with such fundamental issues as the origins of ancient human populations and migration routes, but also with the formation and development of inter-population relations and the mixing of gene pools as a result of inter-breeding between individuals representing different cultural units. The contribution of immigrants to the analysed autochthonous population and their effect on the gene pool of that population has proven difficult to evaluate with classical morphological methods. The burial of one individual in the studied Napole cemetery located in central Poland had the form of a chamber grave, which is typical of Scandinavian culture from that period. However, this fact cannot be interpreted as absolute proof that the individual (in the biological sense) was allochtonous. This gives rise to the question as to who was actually buried in that cemetery. The ancient DNA results indicate that one of the individuals had an mtDNA haplotype typical of Iron Age northern Europe, which suggests that he could have arrived from that area at a later period. This seems to indirectly confirm the claims of many anthropologists that the development of the early medieval Polish state was significantly and directly influenced by the Scandinavians

The search for the α and β globin gene cluster mutations in specimen MK 11G 107.

<p>The most common ones among today’s inhabitants of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent were identified <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0073682#pone.0073682-Dastidar1" target="_blank">[39]</a>. <b>A.</b> The pattern of identification of the chromosome 16p fragments, deletion of which is responsible for α-thalassemia, shown as filled/unfilled bars indicating regions of certainty/uncertainty of breakpoints. Successful amplification of the <i>HBM</i> gene located in close proximity to the region of deletions was used as a positive control, confirming the presence of the thalassemia-predisposing region of the fossil chromosome 16, i.e. the presence of target sequences in the <i>HBA1</i> and <i>HBA2</i> gene cluster. Although primers were designed to identify 3.7 and 4.2 kb deletion variants, a few others were typed as well. <b>B.</b> Pattern of SNP IVS-1 nt 5 G>C identification within the <i>HBB</i> gene responsible for β-thalassemia, and the sequenogram of the target region. Primer sequences and PCR conditions are shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0073682#pone.0073682.s001" target="_blank">table S1</a>. The size of exons and PCR products does not reflect real proportions of assigned fragments.</p

Suggested Northern Route of LCT-13910*T spreading.

<p>Contrasted is time-dependent occurrence of the T allele along west-east gradient from Iberia (0.27; >5 Ka BP [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0122384#pone.0122384.ref066" target="_blank">66</a>]), through Scandinavia (0.05; >4 Ka BP [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0122384#pone.0122384.ref067" target="_blank">67</a>]), up to Kuyavia and the Chełmno land (<4 Ka BP as predicted by us), with its simultaneous absence along the Danubian and Mediterranean Routes.</p

Location of the explored Polish archaeological sites.

<p>Location of the explored Polish archaeological sites.</p

16270 change found in individual TQ 28F 256 and identified in four separate runs of PCR product obtained from different portions of pulverized different teeth.

<p><b>A.</b> Upper molar FDI 26, preparation 1; <b>B.</b> Upper molar FDI 26, preparation 2; <b>C.</b> Upper molar FDI 28, preparation 1; <b>D.</b> Upper molar FDI 28, preparation 2.</p