Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation

• Published in: PLoS biology 2018-01, Vol.16 (1), p.e2003703-e2003703
• Main Authors: Günther, Torsten, Malmström, Helena, Svensson, Emma M, Omrak, Ayça, Sánchez-Quinto, Federico, Kılınç, Gülşah M, Krzewińska, Maja, Eriksson, Gunilla, Fraser, Magdalena, Edlund, Hanna, Munters, Arielle R, Coutinho, Alexandra, Simões, Luciana G, Vicente, Mário, Sjölander, Anders, Jansen Sellevold, Berit, Jørgensen, Roger, Claes, Peter, Shriver, Mark D, Valdiosera, Cristina, Netea, Mihai G, Apel, Jan, Lidén, Kerstin, Skar, Birgitte, Storå, Jan, Götherström, Anders, Jakobsson, Mattias
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation; Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Ancient history; Archaeology; Archeology: 090; Arkeologi; Arkeologi: 090; Bioinformatics; Biology and Life Sciences; Classical studies; Cultural heritage; Earth Sciences; Effective population size; Europe; European Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; Female; Fossils; Funding; Genetic aspects; Genetic Variation; Genetics; Genetics, Population - methods; Genomes; Genomic libraries; Historia och arkeologi; History; History and Archaeology; History, Ancient; Human Migration - history; Humaniora och konst; Humaniora: 000; Humanities; Humanities: 000; Humans; Hunter-gatherers; Latitude; Male; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Mesolithic; Mesolithic period; Metagenomics - methods; Migrants; Migration; Mountain life; Museums; Nordic archeology: 091; Nordisk arkeologi: 091; Norwegian people; Organismal biology; Paleogenetics; People and Places; Pigmentation; Pigmentation - genetics; Population; Population genetics; Scandinavian and Nordic Countries - ethnology; Social Sciences; Software; Supervision; VDP
• ISSN: 1545-7885; 1544-9173; 1545-7885
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003703

Scandinavia was one of the last geographic areas in Europe to become habitable for humans after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, the routes and genetic composition of these postglacial migrants remain unclear. We sequenced the genomes, up to 57× coverage, of seven hunter-gatherers excavated across Scandinavia and dated from 9,500-6,000 years before present (BP). Surprisingly, among the Scandinavian Mesolithic individuals, the genetic data display an east-west genetic gradient that opposes the pattern seen in other parts of Mesolithic Europe. Our results suggest two different early postglacial migrations into Scandinavia: initially from the south, and later, from the northeast. The latter followed the ice-free Norwegian north Atlantic coast, along which novel and advanced pressure-blade stone-tool techniques may have spread. These two groups met and mixed in Scandinavia, creating a genetically diverse population, which shows patterns of genetic adaptation to high latitude environments. These potential adaptations include high frequencies of low pigmentation variants and a gene region associated with physical performance, which shows strong continuity into modern-day northern Europeans.