Maternal Genetic Composition of a Medieval Population from a Hungarian-Slavic Contact Zone in Central Europe

The genetic composition of the medieval populations of Central Europe has been poorly investigated to date. In particular, the region of modern-day Slovakia is a blank spot in archaeogenetic research. This paper reports the study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in ancient samples from the 9th-12th cent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2016-03, Vol.11 (3), p.e0151206-e0151206
Main Authors: Csákyová, Veronika, Szécsényi-Nagy, Anna, Csősz, Aranka, Nagy, Melinda, Fusek, Gabriel, Langó, Péter, Bauer, Miroslav, Mende, Balázs Gusztáv, Makovický, Pavol, Bauerová, Mária
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Archaeology
Biology
Biology and life sciences
Bones
Cemeteries
Centuries
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics
Female
Gene pool
Genetics, Medical
Haplotypes
History, Medieval
Humanities
Humans
Hungary
Laboratories
Male
Medieval period
Migration
Minority & ethnic groups
Mitochondrial DNA
People and Places
Philosophers
Physical Sciences
Physiological aspects
Population (statistical)
Population Dynamics - history
Population genetics
Research and Analysis Methods
Slovakia
Statistical analysis
Statistical methods
Territory
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Summary:The genetic composition of the medieval populations of Central Europe has been poorly investigated to date. In particular, the region of modern-day Slovakia is a blank spot in archaeogenetic research. This paper reports the study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in ancient samples from the 9th-12th centuries originating from the cemeteries discovered in Nitra-Šindolka and Čakajovce, located in western Slovakia (Central Europe). This geographical region is interesting to study because its medieval multi-ethnic population lived in the so-called contact zone of the territory of the Great Moravian and later Hungarian state formations. We described 16 different mtDNA haplotypes in 19 individuals, which belong to the most widespread European mtDNA haplogroups: H, J, T, U and R0. Using comparative statistical and population genetic analyses, we showed the differentiation of the European gene pool in the medieval period. We also demonstrated the heterogeneous genetic characteristics of the investigated population and its affinity to the populations of modern Europe.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0151206