The population genomics of archaeological transition in west Iberia: Investigation of ancient substructure using imputation and haplotype-based methods

PLoS Genet. 2017 Jul 27;13(7):e1006852. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006852. eCollection 2017 Jul.

Abstract

We analyse new genomic data (0.05-2.95x) from 14 ancient individuals from Portugal distributed from the Middle Neolithic (4200-3500 BC) to the Middle Bronze Age (1740-1430 BC) and impute genomewide diploid genotypes in these together with published ancient Eurasians. While discontinuity is evident in the transition to agriculture across the region, sensitive haplotype-based analyses suggest a significant degree of local hunter-gatherer contribution to later Iberian Neolithic populations. A more subtle genetic influx is also apparent in the Bronze Age, detectable from analyses including haplotype sharing with both ancient and modern genomes, D-statistics and Y-chromosome lineages. However, the limited nature of this introgression contrasts with the major Steppe migration turnovers within third Millennium northern Europe and echoes the survival of non-Indo-European language in Iberia. Changes in genomic estimates of individual height across Europe are also associated with these major cultural transitions, and ancestral components continue to correlate with modern differences in stature.

MeSH terms

  • Archaeology
  • Chromosomes, Human, Y / genetics
  • Databases, Genetic
  • Europe
  • Female
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genetics, Population / methods*
  • Genome, Human
  • Genomics / methods*
  • Genotype
  • Haplotypes*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Portugal
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Grants and funding

This study has been financed by the BEAN project of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network (grant number 289966). LMC is funded by the Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Scholarship Scheme (GOIPG/2013/1219). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.