Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of a 2,000-Year-Old Necropolis in the Egyin Gol Valley of Mongolia

DNA was extracted from the skeletal remains of 62 specimens excavated from the Egyin Gol necropolis, in northern Mongolia. This burial site is linked to the Xiongnu period and was used from the 3rd century b.c. to the 2nd century a.d. Three types of genetic markers were used to determine the genetic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of human genetics 2003-08, Vol.73 (2), p.247-260
Main Authors: Keyser-Tracqui, Christine, Crubézy, Eric, Ludes, Bertrand
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
Amelogenin
Anthropology. Demography
Base Sequence
Biological and medical sciences
Chromosomes, Human, Y - genetics
Dental Enamel Proteins - genetics
DNA - history
DNA - isolation & purification
DNA, Mitochondrial - history
DNA, Mitochondrial - isolation & purification
Female
Genealogy and Heraldry
Genetics, Population
Haplotypes
History, Ancient
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Mongolia
Mortuary Practice - history
Paleontology
Sex Determination Analysis
Tandem Repeat Sequences
Tropical medicine
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Summary:DNA was extracted from the skeletal remains of 62 specimens excavated from the Egyin Gol necropolis, in northern Mongolia. This burial site is linked to the Xiongnu period and was used from the 3rd century b.c. to the 2nd century a.d. Three types of genetic markers were used to determine the genetic relationships between individuals buried in the Egyin Gol necropolis. Results from analyses of autosomal and Y chromosome short tandem repeats, as well as mitochondrial DNA, showed close relationships between several specimens and provided additional background information on the social organization within the necropolis as well as the funeral practices of the Xiongnu people. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study using biparental, paternal, and maternal genetic systems to reconstruct partial genealogies in a protohistoric necropolis.
ISSN:0002-9297
1537-6605
DOI:10.1086/377005