1
|
Wagner JK, Yu JH, Fullwiley D, Moore C, Wilson JF, Bamshad MJ, Royal CD. Guidelines for genetic ancestry inference created through roundtable discussions. HGG ADVANCES 2023; 4:100178. [PMID: 36798092 PMCID: PMC9926022 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2023.100178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of genetic and genomic technology to infer ancestry is commonplace in a variety of contexts, particularly in biomedical research and for direct-to-consumer genetic testing. In 2013 and 2015, two roundtables engaged a diverse group of stakeholders toward the development of guidelines for inferring genetic ancestry in academia and industry. This report shares the stakeholder groups' work and provides an analysis of, commentary on, and views from the groundbreaking and sustained dialogue. We describe the engagement processes and the stakeholder groups' resulting statements and proposed guidelines. The guidelines focus on five key areas: application of genetic ancestry inference, assumptions and confidence/laboratory and statistical methods, terminology and population identifiers, impact on individuals and groups, and communication or translation of genetic ancestry inferences. We delineate the terms and limitations of the guidelines and discuss their critical role in advancing the development and implementation of best practices for inferring genetic ancestry and reporting the results. These efforts should inform both governmental regulation and self-regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. Wagner
- School of Engineering Design and Innovation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Institute for Computational and Data Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Rock Ethics Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Penn State Law, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Joon-Ho Yu
- Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Public Health Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Duana Fullwiley
- Department of Anthropology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - James F. Wilson
- Centre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, Scotland
| | - Michael J. Bamshad
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Charmaine D. Royal
- Departments of African and African American Studies, Biology, Global Health, and Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Genetic Ancestry Inference Roundtable Participants
- School of Engineering Design and Innovation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Institute for Computational and Data Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Rock Ethics Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Penn State Law, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Public Health Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- The DNA Detectives, Dana Point, CA, USA
- Centre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, Scotland
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- Departments of African and African American Studies, Biology, Global Health, and Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kristjansson D, Schurr TG, Bohlin J, Jugessur A. Phylogeographic history of mitochondrial haplogroup J in Scandinavia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 180:298-315. [PMID: 36790764 PMCID: PMC10100211 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup J is the third most frequent haplogroup in modern-day Scandinavia, although it did not originate there. To infer the genetic history of haplogroup J in Scandinavia, we examined worldwide mitogenome sequences using a maximum-likelihood phylogenetic approach. METHODS Haplogroup J mitogenome sequences were gathered from GenBank (n = 2245) and aligned against the ancestral Reconstructed Sapiens Reference Sequence. We also analyzed haplogroup J Viking Age sequences from the European Nucleotide Archive (n = 54). Genetic distances were estimated from these data and projected onto a maximum likelihood rooted phylogenetic tree to analyze clustering and branching dates. RESULTS Haplogroup J originated approximately 42.6 kya (95% CI: 30.0-64.7), with several of its earliest branches being found within the Arabian Peninsula and Northern Africa. J1b was found most frequently in the Near East and Arabian Peninsula, while J1c occurred most frequently in Europe. Based on phylogenetic dating, subhaplogroup J1c has its early roots in the Mediterranean and Western Balkans. Otherwise, the majority of the branches found in Scandinavia are younger than those seen elsewhere, indicating that haplogroup J dispersed relatively recently into Northern Europe, most plausibly with Neolithic farmers. CONCLUSIONS Haplogroup J appeared when Scandinavia was transitioning to agriculture over 6 kya, with J1c being the most common lineage there today. Changes in the distribution of haplogroup J mtDNAs were likely driven by the expansion of farming from West Asia into Southern Europe, followed by a later expansion into Scandinavia, with other J subhaplogroups appearing among Scandinavian groups as early as the Viking Age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana Kristjansson
- Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Center of Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Theodore G Schurr
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jon Bohlin
- Center of Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Method Development and Analytics, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Astanand Jugessur
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Center of Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Plomp KA, Gestsdóttir H, Dobney K, Price N, Collard M. The composition of the founding population of Iceland: A new perspective from 3D analyses of basicranial shape. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246059. [PMID: 33556115 PMCID: PMC7870008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The settlement of Iceland in the Viking Age has been the focus of much research, but the composition of the founding population remains the subject of debate. Some lines of evidence suggest that almost all the founding population were Scandinavian, while others indicate a mix of Scandinavians and people of Scottish and Irish ancestry. To explore this issue further, we used three-dimensional techniques to compare the basicrania of skeletons from archaeological sites in Iceland, Scandinavia, and the British Isles. Our analyses yielded two main results. One was that the founding population likely consisted of roughly equal numbers of Scandinavians and people from the British Isles. The other was that the immigrants who originated from the British Isles included individuals of southern British ancestry as well as individuals of Scottish and Irish ancestry. The first of these findings is consistent with the results of recent analyses of modern and ancient DNA, while the second is novel. Our study, therefore, strengthens the idea that the founding population was a mix of Scandinavians and people from the British Isles, but also raises a new possibility regarding the regions from which the settlers originated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Plomp
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, Classics, and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Keith Dobney
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, Classics, and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Price
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mark Collard
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lall GM, Larmuseau MHD, Wetton JH, Batini C, Hallast P, Huszar TI, Zadik D, Aase S, Baker T, Balaresque P, Bodmer W, Børglum AD, de Knijff P, Dunn H, Harding SE, Løvvik H, Dupuy BM, Pamjav H, Tillmar AO, Tomaszewski M, Tyler-Smith C, Verdugo MP, Winney B, Vohra P, Story J, King TE, Jobling MA. Subdividing Y-chromosome haplogroup R1a1 reveals Norse Viking dispersal lineages in Britain. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 29:512-523. [PMID: 33139852 PMCID: PMC7940619 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-00747-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of Viking-Age migrants to the British Isles is obvious in archaeological and place-names evidence, but their demographic impact has been unclear. Autosomal genetic analyses support Norse Viking contributions to parts of Britain, but show no signal corresponding to the Danelaw, the region under Scandinavian administrative control from the ninth to eleventh centuries. Y-chromosome haplogroup R1a1 has been considered as a possible marker for Viking migrations because of its high frequency in peninsular Scandinavia (Norway and Sweden). Here we select ten Y-SNPs to discriminate informatively among hg R1a1 sub-haplogroups in Europe, analyse these in 619 hg R1a1 Y chromosomes including 163 from the British Isles, and also type 23 short-tandem repeats (Y-STRs) to assess internal diversity. We find three specifically Western-European sub-haplogroups, two of which predominate in Norway and Sweden, and are also found in Britain; star-like features in the STR networks of these lineages indicate histories of expansion. We ask whether geographical distributions of hg R1a1 overall, and of the two sub-lineages in particular, correlate with regions of Scandinavian influence within Britain. Neither shows any frequency difference between regions that have higher (≥10%) or lower autosomal contributions from Norway and Sweden, but both are significantly overrepresented in the region corresponding to the Danelaw. These differences between autosomal and Y-chromosomal histories suggest either male-specific contribution, or the influence of patrilocality. Comparison of modern DNA with recently available ancient DNA data supports the interpretation that two sub-lineages of hg R1a1 spread with the Vikings from peninsular Scandinavia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Maarten H D Larmuseau
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Histories vzw, Zoutwerf 5, 2800, Mechelen, Belgium
| | - Jon H Wetton
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,School of History, Politics and International Relations, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Chiara Batini
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Pille Hallast
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.,Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, 50411, Estonia
| | - Tunde I Huszar
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Daniel Zadik
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,Centre for Genetics and Genomics, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Tina Baker
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Patricia Balaresque
- UMR5288, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Walter Bodmer
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anders D Børglum
- Department of Biomedicine & Centre for Integrative Sequencing, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter de Knijff
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hayley Dunn
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Stephen E Harding
- National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UK.,Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Berit Myhre Dupuy
- Division of Forensic Sciences, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Horolma Pamjav
- Hungarian Institute for Forensic Sciences, Institute of Forensic Genetics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andreas O Tillmar
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Maciej Tomaszewski
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Division of Medicine and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Marta Pereira Verdugo
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Bruce Winney
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pragya Vohra
- School of History, Politics and International Relations, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,Department of History, University of York, Heslington, York, UK
| | - Joanna Story
- School of History, Politics and International Relations, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Turi E King
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| | - Mark A Jobling
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Winton CL, McMahon R, Hegarty MJ, McEwan NR, Davies‐Morel MCG, Morgan C, Nash DM. Genetic diversity within and between British and Irish breeds: The maternal and paternal history of native ponies. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1352-1367. [PMID: 32076519 PMCID: PMC7029099 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The UK and Ireland have many native pony breeds with historical and cultural importance as well as being a source of uncharacterized genetic diversity. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research investigating their genetic diversity and phylogenetic interrelationships. Many studies contain a limited number of pony breeds or small sample sizes for these breeds. This may result in erroneous grouping of pony breeds that otherwise have intricate interrelationships with each other and are not evaluated correctly when placed as a token subset of a larger dataset. This is the first study that specifically investigates the genetic diversity within and between British and Irish native pony breeds using large sample numbers from locations of their native origin. This study used a panel of microsatellite markers and sequence analysis of the mitochondrial control region to analyze the genetic diversity within and between 11 pony breeds from Britain and Ireland. A large dataset was collected (a total of 485 animals were used for mtDNA analysis and 450 for microsatellite analysis), and previously published data were used to place the British and Irish ponies in a global context. The native ponies of Britain and Ireland were found to have had a complex history, and the interrelationships between the breeds were revealed. Overall, high levels of genetic diversity were maintained in native breeds, although some reduction was evident in small or isolated populations (Shetland, Carneddau, and Section C). Unusual mitochondrial diversity distribution patterns were apparent for the Carneddau and Dartmoor, although among breeds and global haplogroups there was a high degree of haplotype sharing evident, well-represented within British and Irish ponies. Ancestral maternal diversity was maintained by most populations, particularly the Fells and Welsh ponies, which exhibited rare and ancient lineages. The maternal and paternal histories of the breeds are distinct, with male-biased crossings between native breeds, and other shared influences, likely Arabs and Thoroughbreds, are apparent. The data generated herein provide valuable information to guide and implement the conservation of increasingly rare native genetic resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare L. Winton
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural SciencesAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
| | - Robert McMahon
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural SciencesAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
- Molecular HaematologyHaematology LaboratoryRoyal Infirmary of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Matthew J. Hegarty
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural SciencesAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
| | - Neil R. McEwan
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural SciencesAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
- School of Pharmacy and Life SciencesRobert Gordon UniversityAberdeenUK
| | | | - Charly Morgan
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural SciencesAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
| | - Deborah M. Nash
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural SciencesAberystwyth UniversityAberystwythUK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Halachev M, Meynert A, Taylor MS, Vitart V, Kerr SM, Klaric L, Aitman TJ, Haley CS, Prendergast JG, Pugh C, Hume DA, Harris SE, Liewald DC, Deary IJ, Semple CA, Wilson JF. Increased ultra-rare variant load in an isolated Scottish population impacts exonic and regulatory regions. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008480. [PMID: 31765389 PMCID: PMC6901239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human population isolates provide a snapshot of the impact of historical demographic processes on population genetics. Such data facilitate studies of the functional impact of rare sequence variants on biomedical phenotypes, as strong genetic drift can result in higher frequencies of variants that are otherwise rare. We present the first whole genome sequencing (WGS) study of the VIKING cohort, a representative collection of samples from the isolated Shetland population in northern Scotland, and explore how its genetic characteristics compare to a mainland Scottish population. Our analyses reveal the strong contributions played by the founder effect and genetic drift in shaping genomic variation in the VIKING cohort. About one tenth of all high-quality variants discovered are unique to the VIKING cohort or are seen at frequencies at least ten fold higher than in more cosmopolitan control populations. Multiple lines of evidence also suggest relaxation of purifying selection during the evolutionary history of the Shetland isolate. We demonstrate enrichment of ultra-rare VIKING variants in exonic regions and for the first time we also show that ultra-rare variants are enriched within regulatory regions, particularly promoters, suggesting that gene expression patterns may diverge relatively rapidly in human isolates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mihail Halachev
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Meynert
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Martin S. Taylor
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Veronique Vitart
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Shona M. Kerr
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lucija Klaric
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Timothy J. Aitman
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Chris S. Haley
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - James G. Prendergast
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Carys Pugh
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David A. Hume
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - Sarah E. Harris
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David C. Liewald
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ian J. Deary
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Colin A. Semple
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - James F. Wilson
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Krzewińska M, Kjellström A, Günther T, Hedenstierna-Jonson C, Zachrisson T, Omrak A, Yaka R, Kılınç GM, Somel M, Sobrado V, Evans J, Knipper C, Jakobsson M, Storå J, Götherström A. Genomic and Strontium Isotope Variation Reveal Immigration Patterns in a Viking Age Town. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2730-2738.e10. [PMID: 30146150 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The impact of human mobility on the northern European urban populations during the Viking and Early Middle Ages and its repercussions in Scandinavia itself are still largely unexplored. Our study of the demographics in the final phase of the Viking era is the first comprehensive multidisciplinary investigation that includes genetics, isotopes, archaeology, and osteology on a larger scale. This early Christian dataset is particularly important as the earlier common pagan burial tradition during the Iron Age was cremation, hindering large-scale DNA analyses. We present genome-wide sequence data from 23 individuals from the 10th to 12th century Swedish town of Sigtuna. The data revealed high genetic diversity among the early urban residents. The observed variation exceeds the genetic diversity in distinct modern-day and Iron Age groups of central and northern Europe. Strontium isotope data suggest mixed local and non-local origin of the townspeople. Our results uncover the social system underlying the urbanization process of the Viking World of which mobility was an intricate part and was comparable between males and females. The inhabitants of Sigtuna were heterogeneous in their genetic affinities, probably reflecting both close and distant connections through an established network, confirming that early urbanization processes in northern Europe were driven by migration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maja Krzewińska
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Anna Kjellström
- Osteoarchaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Torsten Günther
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Norbyvägen 18C, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Torun Zachrisson
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ayça Omrak
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Reyhan Yaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Tandogan, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gülşah Merve Kılınç
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mehmet Somel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Tandogan, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Veronica Sobrado
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jane Evans
- NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
| | - Corina Knipper
- Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie, D6, 3, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Mattias Jakobsson
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Norbyvägen 18C, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Tomtebodavägen 23A, 17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Jan Storå
- Osteoarchaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Götherström
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, University of Stockholm, Lilla Frescativägen 7, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Tomtebodavägen 23A, 17165 Solna, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ebenesersdóttir SS, Sandoval-Velasco M, Gunnarsdóttir ED, Jagadeesan A, Guðmundsdóttir VB, Thordardóttir EL, Einarsdóttir MS, Moore KHS, Sigurðsson Á, Magnúsdóttir DN, Jónsson H, Snorradóttir S, Hovig E, Møller P, Kockum I, Olsson T, Alfredsson L, Hansen TF, Werge T, Cavalleri GL, Gilbert E, Lalueza-Fox C, Walser JW, Kristjánsdóttir S, Gopalakrishnan S, Árnadóttir L, Magnússon ÓÞ, Gilbert MTP, Stefánsson K, Helgason A. Ancient genomes from Iceland reveal the making of a human population. Science 2018; 360:1028-1032. [PMID: 29853688 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar2625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Opportunities to directly study the founding of a human population and its subsequent evolutionary history are rare. Using genome sequence data from 27 ancient Icelanders, we demonstrate that they are a combination of Norse, Gaelic, and admixed individuals. We further show that these ancient Icelanders are markedly more similar to their source populations in Scandinavia and the British-Irish Isles than to contemporary Icelanders, who have been shaped by 1100 years of extensive genetic drift. Finally, we report evidence of unequal contributions from the ancient founders to the contemporary Icelandic gene pool. These results provide detailed insights into the making of a human population that has proven extraordinarily useful for the discovery of genotype-phenotype associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Sunna Ebenesersdóttir
- deCODE Genetics/AMGEN, Inc., Reykjavik Iceland. .,Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Marcela Sandoval-Velasco
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Ellen D Gunnarsdóttir
- deCODE Genetics/AMGEN, Inc., Reykjavik Iceland.,Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Anuradha Jagadeesan
- deCODE Genetics/AMGEN, Inc., Reykjavik Iceland.,Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Valdís B Guðmundsdóttir
- deCODE Genetics/AMGEN, Inc., Reykjavik Iceland.,Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Elísabet L Thordardóttir
- deCODE Genetics/AMGEN, Inc., Reykjavik Iceland.,Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Margrét S Einarsdóttir
- deCODE Genetics/AMGEN, Inc., Reykjavik Iceland.,Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eivind Hovig
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Pål Møller
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Human Medicine, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany.,Research Group Inherited Cancer, Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Kockum
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Neuroimmunology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomas Olsson
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Neuroimmunology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Alfredsson
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas F Hansen
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Copenhagen Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University hospital, DK-2600 Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Thomas Werge
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Copenhagen Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gianpiero L Cavalleri
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Edmund Gilbert
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Joe W Walser
- National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Department of Archaeology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir
- National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Department of Archaeology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Shyam Gopalakrishnan
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | | | | | - M Thomas P Gilbert
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.,Norwegian University of Science and Techonology, University Museum, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kári Stefánsson
- deCODE Genetics/AMGEN, Inc., Reykjavik Iceland. .,Faculity of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Agnar Helgason
- deCODE Genetics/AMGEN, Inc., Reykjavik Iceland. .,Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Krzewińska M, Bjørnstad G, Skoglund P, Olason PI, Bill J, Götherström A, Hagelberg E. Mitochondrial DNA variation in the Viking age population of Norway. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20130384. [PMID: 25487335 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The medieval Norsemen or Vikings had an important biological and cultural impact on many parts of Europe through raids, colonization and trade, from about AD 793 to 1066. To help understand the genetic affinities of the ancient Norsemen, and their genetic contribution to the gene pool of other Europeans, we analysed DNA markers in Late Iron Age skeletal remains from Norway. DNA was extracted from 80 individuals, and mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms were detected by next-generation sequencing. The sequences of 45 ancient Norwegians were verified as genuine through the identification of damage patterns characteristic of ancient DNA. The ancient Norwegians were genetically similar to previously analysed ancient Icelanders, and to present-day Shetland and Orkney Islanders, Norwegians, Swedes, Scots, English, German and French. The Viking Age population had higher frequencies of K*, U*, V* and I* haplogroups than their modern counterparts, but a lower proportion of T* and H* haplogroups. Three individuals carried haplotypes that are rare in Norway today (U5b1b1, Hg A* and an uncommon variant of H*). Our combined analyses indicate that Norse women were important agents in the overseas expansion and settlement of the Vikings, and that women from the Orkneys and Western Isles contributed to the colonization of Iceland.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maja Krzewińska
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, 0130 Oslo, Norway
| | - Gro Bjørnstad
- Department of Forensic Biology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0403 Oslo, Norway Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, Norway
| | - Pontus Skoglund
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pall Isolfur Olason
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Bill
- Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, 0130 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders Götherström
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erika Hagelberg
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Leslie S, Winney B, Hellenthal G, Davison D, Boumertit A, Day T, Hutnik K, Royrvik EC, Cunliffe B, Lawson DJ, Falush D, Freeman C, Pirinen M, Myers S, Robinson M, Donnelly P, Bodmer W. The fine-scale genetic structure of the British population. Nature 2015; 519:309-314. [PMID: 25788095 DOI: 10.1038/nature14230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Fine-scale genetic variation between human populations is interesting as a signature of historical demographic events and because of its potential for confounding disease studies. We use haplotype-based statistical methods to analyse genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from a carefully chosen geographically diverse sample of 2,039 individuals from the United Kingdom. This reveals a rich and detailed pattern of genetic differentiation with remarkable concordance between genetic clusters and geography. The regional genetic differentiation and differing patterns of shared ancestry with 6,209 individuals from across Europe carry clear signals of historical demographic events. We estimate the genetic contribution to southeastern England from Anglo-Saxon migrations to be under half, and identify the regions not carrying genetic material from these migrations. We suggest significant pre-Roman but post-Mesolithic movement into southeastern England from continental Europe, and show that in non-Saxon parts of the United Kingdom, there exist genetically differentiated subgroups rather than a general 'Celtic' population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Leslie
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Bruce Winney
- University of Oxford, Department of Oncology, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Garrett Hellenthal
- University College London Genetics Institute, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Dan Davison
- Counsyl, Inc. 180 Kimball Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Abdelhamid Boumertit
- University of Oxford, Department of Oncology, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Tammy Day
- University of Oxford, Department of Oncology, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Katarzyna Hutnik
- University of Oxford, Department of Oncology, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Ellen C Royrvik
- University of Oxford, Department of Oncology, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Barry Cunliffe
- University of Oxford, Institute of Archaeology, 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PG, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel J Lawson
- University of Bristol, Department of Mathematics, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TW, UK
| | - Daniel Falush
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Colin Freeman
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Matti Pirinen
- University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 20, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Simon Myers
- University of Oxford, Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Mark Robinson
- University of Oxford, University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PW, UK
| | - Peter Donnelly
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.,University of Oxford, Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Walter Bodmer
- University of Oxford, Department of Oncology, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Jones EP, Searle JB. Differing Y chromosome versus mitochondrial DNA ancestry, phylogeography, and introgression in the house mouse. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor P. Jones
- Population Biology and Conservation Biology; Evolutionary Biology Centre; University of Uppsala; Uppsala Sweden
- Food and Environment Research Agency; Sand Hutton York YO41 1LZ UK
| | - Jeremy B. Searle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Montgomery J, Grimes V, Buckberry J, Evans JA, Richards MP, Barrett JH. Finding Vikings with Isotope Analysis: The View from Wet and Windy Islands. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.3721/037.002.sp705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janet Montgomery
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Vaughan Grimes
- Department of Archaeology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jo Buckberry
- Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK
| | | | - Michael P. Richards
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, 6303 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - James H. Barrett
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3ER, UK
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jones EP, Eager HM, Gabriel SI, Jóhannesdóttir F, Searle JB. Genetic tracking of mice and other bioproxies to infer human history. Trends Genet 2013; 29:298-308. [PMID: 23290437 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2012.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2012] [Revised: 11/13/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The long-distance movements made by humans through history are quickly erased by time but can be reconstructed by studying the genetic make-up of organisms that travelled with them. The phylogeography of the western house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus), whose current widespread distribution around the world has been caused directly by the movements of (primarily) European people, has proved particularly informative in a series of recent studies. The geographic distributions of genetic lineages in this commensal have been linked to the Iron Age movements within the Mediterranean region and Western Europe, the extensive maritime activities of the Vikings in the 9th to 11th centuries, and the colonisation of distant landmasses and islands by the Western European nations starting in the 15th century. We review here recent insights into human history based on phylogeographic studies of mice and other species that have travelled with humans, and discuss how emerging genomic methodologies will increase the precision of these inferences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor P Jones
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Pardiñas AF, Roca A, Garcia-Vazquez E, Lopez B. Mitochondrial diversity patterns and the Magdalenian resettlement of Europe: new insights from the edge of the Franco-Cantabrian refuge. J Hum Genet 2012; 57:717-26. [PMID: 22895249 DOI: 10.1038/jhg.2012.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Phylogeography of the mitochondrial lineages commonly found in Western Europe can be interpreted in the light of a postglacial resettlement of the continent. The center of this proposal lies in the Franco-Cantabrian glacial refuge, located in the northern Iberian Peninsula and Southwestern France. Recently, this interpretation has been confronted by the unexpected patterns of diversity found in some European haplogroups. To shed new lights on this issue, research on Iberian populations is crucial if events behind the actual genetics of the European continent are to be untangled. In this regard, the region of Asturias has not been extensively studied, despite its convoluted history with prolonged periods of isolation. As mitochondrial DNA is a kind of data that has been commonly used in human population genetics, we conducted a thorough regional study in which we collected buccal swabs from 429 individuals with confirmed Asturian ancestry. The joint analysis of these sequences with a large continent-wide database and previously published diversity patterns allowed us to discuss a new explanation for the population dynamics inside the Franco-Cantabrian area, based on range expansion theory. This approximation to previously contradictory findings has made them compatible with most proposals about the postglacial resettlement of Western Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio F Pardiñas
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Jobling MA. The impact of recent events on human genetic diversity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 367:793-9. [PMID: 22312046 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The historical record tells us stories of migrations, population expansions and colonization events in the last few thousand years, but what was their demographic impact? Genetics can throw light on this issue, and has mostly done so through the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the male-specific Y chromosome. However, there are a number of problems, including marker ascertainment bias, possible influences of natural selection, and the obscuring layers of the palimpsest of historical and prehistorical events. Y-chromosomal lineages are particularly affected by genetic drift, which can be accentuated by recent social selection. A diversity of approaches to expansions in Europe is yielding insights into the histories of Phoenicians, Roma, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, and new methods for producing and analysing genome-wide data hold much promise. The field would benefit from more consensus on appropriate methods, and better communication between geneticists and experts in other disciplines, such as history, archaeology and linguistics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Jobling
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ebenesersdóttir SS, Sigurðsson A, Sánchez-Quinto F, Lalueza-Fox C, Stefánsson K, Helgason A. A new subclade of mtDNA haplogroup C1 found in Icelanders: evidence of pre-Columbian contact? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 144:92-9. [PMID: 21069749 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Although most mtDNA lineages observed in contemporary Icelanders can be traced to neighboring populations in the British Isles and Scandinavia, one may have a more distant origin. This lineage belongs to haplogroup C1, one of a handful that was involved in the settlement of the Americas around 14,000 years ago. Contrary to an initial assumption that this lineage was a recent arrival, preliminary genealogical analyses revealed that the C1 lineage was present in the Icelandic mtDNA pool at least 300 years ago. This raised the intriguing possibility that the Icelandic C1 lineage could be traced to Viking voyages to the Americas that commenced in the 10th century. In an attempt to shed further light on the entry date of the C1 lineage into the Icelandic mtDNA pool and its geographical origin, we used the deCODE Genetics genealogical database to identify additional matrilineal ancestors that carry the C1 lineage and then sequenced the complete mtDNA genome of 11 contemporary C1 carriers from four different matrilines. Our results indicate a latest possible arrival date in Iceland of just prior to 1700 and a likely arrival date centuries earlier. Most surprisingly, we demonstrate that the Icelandic C1 lineage does not belong to any of the four known Native American (C1b, C1c, and C1d) or Asian (C1a) subclades of haplogroup C1. Rather, it is presently the only known member of a new subclade, C1e. While a Native American origin seems most likely for C1e, an Asian or European origin cannot be ruled out.
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
A new timescale has recently been established for human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages, making mtDNA at present the most informative genetic marker system for studying European prehistory. Here, we review the new chronology and compare mtDNA with Y-chromosome patterns, in order to summarize what we have learnt from archaeogenetics concerning five episodes over the past 50,000 years which significantly contributed to the settlement history of Europe: the pioneer colonisation of the Upper Palaeolithic, the Late Glacial re-colonisation of the continent from southern refugia after the Last Glacial Maximum, the postglacial re-colonization of deserted areas after the Younger Dryas cold snap, the arrival of Near Easterners with an incipient Neolithic package, and the small-scale migrations along continent-wide economic exchange networks beginning with the Copper Age. The available data from uniparental genetic systems have already transformed our view of the prehistory of Europe, but our knowledge of these processes remains limited. Nevertheless, their legacy remains as sedimentary layers in the gene pool of modern Europeans, and our understanding of them will improve substantially when more mtDNAs are completely sequenced, the Y chromosome more thoroughly analysed, and haplotype blocks of the autosomal genome become amenable to phylogeographic studies.
Collapse
|
18
|
Andreassen R, Pereira L, Dupuy BM, Mevaag B. Icelandic population data for the STR loci in the AMPFlSTR SGM Plus system and the PowerPlex Y-system. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2010; 4:e101-3. [PMID: 20457044 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2009.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2009] [Revised: 07/24/2009] [Accepted: 08/20/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We present allele frequencies and statistical parameters of forensic interest for 10 autosomal STR loci and 12 Y-STR loci obtained from an Icelandic population sample. The testing of the STR loci in the AmpFlSTR SGM Plus kit in 151 unrelated individuals showed heterozygosity frequencies ranging from 0.775 (vWA) to 0.874 (D2S1338). A significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in vWA, but it was not statistically significant after application of Bonferroni correction. The exact test of differentiation analysis revealed one significant departure from differentiation out of 45 pairwise comparisons, but the departure was not significant after Bonferroni's correction. Seventy-five different haplotypes were observed in the 100 male samples analysed for the twelve Y-STRs included in the PowerPlex Y-system. No haplotype was observed more than four times. Pairwise comparisons for genetic distances based on the minimal haplotype diversity showed Iceland to be closer to Norway and Denmark than to Sweden, UK, Ireland and Greenland. As expected, the higher percentage of variation was observed within than among populations (90.40% versus 9.60%, respectively, for R(ST)).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rune Andreassen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo University College, Norway, Norway.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sequences from first settlers reveal rapid evolution in Icelandic mtDNA pool. PLoS Genet 2009; 5:e1000343. [PMID: 19148284 PMCID: PMC2613751 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2008] [Accepted: 12/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A major task in human genetics is to understand the nature of the evolutionary processes that have shaped the gene pools of contemporary populations. Ancient DNA studies have great potential to shed light on the evolution of populations because they provide the opportunity to sample from the same population at different points in time. Here, we show that a sample of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences from 68 early medieval Icelandic skeletal remains is more closely related to sequences from contemporary inhabitants of Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia than to those from the modern Icelandic population. Due to a faster rate of genetic drift in the Icelandic mtDNA pool during the last 1,100 years, the sequences carried by the first settlers were better preserved in their ancestral gene pools than among their descendants in Iceland. These results demonstrate the inferential power gained in ancient DNA studies through the application of population genetics analyses to relatively large samples. Ancient DNA studies have great potential to shed light on the evolution of populations because they provide the opportunity to sample from the same population at different points in time. However, ancient DNA studies are often based on DNA extracted from only one or a few individuals and, therefore, do not lend themselves to statistical inference. Here, we describe the analysis of a sample of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences from 68 Icelandic skeletal remains that are about 1,000 years old, from the time that Iceland was first settled. We show that the ancient Icelandic mtDNA sequences are more closely related to sequences from contemporary inhabitants of Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia (and several other European populations) than to those from the modern Icelandic population. It appears that the array of sequences carried by the first generations of Icelanders was better preserved in the gene pools of their ancestors than among their modern descendants because of a faster rate of evolution due to genetic drift in the Icelandic mtDNA pool during the last 1,100 years. These results demonstrate the inferential power that can be gained from studies by applying the methods of population genetics to samples of ancient DNA sequences.
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
Herein, we investigate whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the PARK10 locus are associated with susceptibility to Parkinson's disease (PD) or age at onset (AAO) of disease. One hundred and eighty-eight SNPs were genotyped across the PARK10 locus in 180 PD patients and 180 controls from central Norway (stage 1). We then used the linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure from stage 1 to select 75 SNPs for genotyping in 186 patients and 186 controls from Ireland (stage 2). Nineteen SNPs were selected from this and previous studies for follow-up in an extended Norwegian series (530 patients and 1142 controls), the Irish series and a US series (221 patients and 221 controls) (stage 3). After correction for multiple testing, markers within ubiquitin specific peptidase 24 (USP24) are significantly associated with PD within Norwegian, Irish, and US series combined (rs13312: odds ratio (OR) 0.78, P<0.001; rs487230: OR 0.80, P=0.001). Independently, the association for rs13312 is strongest in the extended Norwegian series (OR 0.76, P=0.005), although not significant after correction for multiple testing (P< or =0.003 is considered significant). ORs in the Irish series are almost identical, and a similar but a weaker effect was observed for the US series. No marker showed consistent association with AAO. Our data indicate that genetic variability in USP24 is associated with PD. Although our work extends and confirms a previous report, the observed effect size does not explain the PARK10 linkage peak.
Collapse
|
21
|
Bowden GR, Balaresque P, King TE, Hansen Z, Lee AC, Pergl-Wilson G, Hurley E, Roberts SJ, Waite P, Jesch J, Jones AL, Thomas MG, Harding SE, Jobling MA. Excavating past population structures by surname-based sampling: the genetic legacy of the Vikings in northwest England. Mol Biol Evol 2007; 25:301-9. [PMID: 18032405 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msm255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic structures of past human populations are obscured by recent migrations and expansions and have been observed only indirectly by inference from modern samples. However, the unique link between a heritable cultural marker, the patrilineal surname, and a genetic marker, the Y chromosome, provides a means to target sets of modern individuals that might resemble populations at the time of surname establishment. As a test case, we studied samples from the Wirral Peninsula and West Lancashire, in northwest England. Place-names and archaeology show clear evidence of a past Viking presence, but heavy immigration and population growth since the industrial revolution are likely to have weakened the genetic signal of a 1,000-year-old Scandinavian contribution. Samples ascertained on the basis of 2 generations of residence were compared with independent samples based on known ancestry in the region plus the possession of a surname known from historical records to have been present there in medieval times. The Y-chromosomal haplotypes of these 2 sets of samples are significantly different, and in admixture analyses, the surname-ascertained samples show markedly greater Scandinavian ancestry proportions, supporting the idea that northwest England was once heavily populated by Scandinavian settlers. The method of historical surname-based ascertainment promises to allow investigation of the influence of migration and drift over the last few centuries in changing the population structure of Britain and will have general utility in other regions where surnames are patrilineal and suitable historical records survive.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georgina R Bowden
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Haugarvoll K, Toft M, Ross OA, Stone JT, Heckman MG, White LR, Lynch T, Gibson JM, Wszolek ZK, Uitti RJ, Aasly JO, Farrer MJ. ELAVL4, PARK10, and the Celts. Mov Disord 2007; 22:585-7. [PMID: 17230446 DOI: 10.1002/mds.21336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variability in ELAVL4 located in the PARK10 locus was recently associated with age-at-onset (AAO) in a series of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients originating from the United States. We examined five markers spanning ELAVL4 in Norwegian, United States, and Irish PD case-control samples. No association was found between the examined markers and AAO or PD in Norwegian or US samples. However, ELAVL4 markers (rs967582 and rs3902720) were significantly associated with susceptibility to PD in our Irish series. Our data suggest that the association between ELAVL4 and PD previously observed might be explained by a Celtic-founder effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristoffer Haugarvoll
- Department of Neuroscience and Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
King TE, Parkin EJ, Swinfield G, Cruciani F, Scozzari R, Rosa A, Lim SK, Xue Y, Tyler-Smith C, Jobling MA. Africans in Yorkshire? The deepest-rooting clade of the Y phylogeny within an English genealogy. Eur J Hum Genet 2007; 15:288-93. [PMID: 17245408 PMCID: PMC2590664 DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of Africans in Britain has been recorded since Roman times, but has left no apparent genetic trace among modern inhabitants. Y chromosomes belonging to the deepest-rooting clade of the Y phylogeny, haplogroup (hg) A, are regarded as African-specific, and no examples have been reported from Britain or elsewhere in Western Europe. We describe the presence of an hgA1 chromosome in an indigenous British male; comparison with African examples suggests a Western African origin. Seven out of 18 men carrying the same rare east-Yorkshire surname as the original male also carry hgA1 chromosomes, and documentary research resolves them into two genealogies with most-recent-common-ancestors living in Yorkshire in the late 18th century. Analysis using 77 Y-short tandem repeats (STRs) is consistent with coalescence a few generations earlier. Our findings represent the first genetic evidence of Africans among 'indigenous' British, and emphasize the complexity of human migration history as well as the pitfalls of assigning geographical origin from Y-chromosomal haplotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Turi E. King
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, UK
| | | | | | - Fulvio Cruciani
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosaria Scozzari
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Alexandra Rosa
- Human Genetics Laboratory, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
| | - Si-Keun Lim
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Yali Xue
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
McEvoy B, Brady C, Moore LT, Bradley DG. The scale and nature of Viking settlement in Ireland from Y-chromosome admixture analysis. Eur J Hum Genet 2006; 14:1288-94. [PMID: 16957681 DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Vikings (or Norse) played a prominent role in Irish history but, despite this, their genetic legacy in Ireland, which may provide insights into the nature and scale of their immigration, is largely unexplored. Irish surnames, some of which are thought to have Norse roots, are paternally inherited in a similar manner to Y-chromosomes. The correspondence of Scandinavian patrilineal ancestry in a cohort of Irish men bearing surnames of putative Norse origin was examined using both slow mutating unique event polymorphisms and relatively rapidly changing short tandem repeat Y-chromosome markers. Irish and Scandinavian admixture proportions were explored for both systems using six different admixture estimators, allowing a parallel investigation of the impact of method and marker type in Y-chromosome admixture analysis. Admixture proportion estimates in the putative Norse surname group were highly consistent and detected little trace of Scandinavian ancestry. In addition, there is scant evidence of Scandinavian Y-chromosome introgression in a general Irish population sample. Although conclusions are largely dependent on the accurate identification of Norse surnames, the findings are consistent with a relatively small number of Norse settlers (and descendents) migrating to Ireland during the Viking period (ca. AD 800-1200) suggesting that Norse colonial settlements might have been largely composed of indigenous Irish. This observation adds to previous genetic studies that point to a flexible Viking settlement approach across North Atlantic Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian McEvoy
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Whittington CA. Was the C282Y mutation an Irish Gaelic mutation that the Vikings help disseminate? Med Hypotheses 2006; 67:1270-3. [PMID: 16920278 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2006] [Accepted: 06/02/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The C282Y mutation is held to have arisen in either a Celtic or a Viking ancestor some 60 generations ago. While the Scandinavians have a high frequency of C282Y, the Irish have the highest frequency of the C282Y mutation in the world. However testing of the Irish people for C282Y has been patchy. The true frequency of the C282Y mutation in Ireland and specifically in the relatively isolated western province of Connaught is unknown. Establishment of the C282Y frequency in the Irish male population of Connaught with traditional Irish surnames, a group which has a virtual fixation for Y chromosome R1b3, could help establish C282Y as an Irish mutation. Elucidation of greater C282Y haplotype diversity for the Irish as opposed to the Scandinavians would indicate the Irish as the likely source population for C282Y. Taken together, linking of C282Y to the Irish Gaelic male population of Connaught and establishment of an Irish origin of the C282Y mutation would point to dissemination of the C282Y mutation by Viking raiders and colonizers.
Collapse
|
26
|
Als TD, Jorgensen TH, Børglum AD, Petersen PA, Mors O, Wang AG. Highly discrepant proportions of female and male Scandinavian and British Isles ancestry within the isolated population of the Faroe Islands. Eur J Hum Genet 2006; 14:497-504. [PMID: 16434998 DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean are inhabited by a small population, whose origin is thought to date back to the Viking Age. Historical, archaeological and linguistic evidence indicates that the present population of the Faroe Islands may have a mixture of Scandinavian and British Isles ancestry. In the present study we used 122 new and 19 previously published hypervariable region I sequences of the mitochondrial control region to analyse the genetic diversity of the Faroese population and compare it with other populations in the North Atlantic region. The analyses suggested that the Faroese mtDNA pool has been affected by genetic drift, and is among the most homogenous and isolated in the North Atlantic region. This will have implications for attempts to locate genes for complex disorders. To obtain estimates of Scandinavian vs British Isles ancestry proportions, we applied a frequency-based admixture approach taking private haplotypes into account by the use of phylogenetic information. While previous studies have suggested an excess of Scandinavian ancestry among the male settlers of the Faroe Islands, the current study indicates an excess of British Isles ancestry among the female settlers of the Faroe Islands. Compared to other admixed populations of the North Atlantic region, the population of the Faroe Islands appears to have the highest level of asymmetry in Scandinavian vs British Isles ancestry proportions among female and male settlers of the archipelago.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Als
- Centre for Basic Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Skovagervej 2, Risskov DK-8240, Denmark.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|