1. Vestiges of an Ancient Border in the Contemporary Genetic Diversity of North-Eastern Europe.
- Author
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Neuvonen AM, Putkonen M, Översti S, Sundell T, Onkamo P, Sajantila A, and Palo JU
- Subjects
- Chromosomes, Human, Y genetics, Europe, Europe, Eastern, Genome, Mitochondrial, Humans, Evolution, Molecular, Genetic Variation
- Abstract
It has previously been demonstrated that the advance of the Neolithic Revolution from the Near East through Europe was decelerated in the northernmost confines of the continent, possibly as a result of space and resource competition with lingering Mesolithic populations. Finland was among the last domains to adopt a farming lifestyle, and is characterized by substructuring in the form of a distinct genetic border dividing the northeastern and southwestern regions of the country. To explore the origins of this divergence, the geographical patterns of mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal haplogroups of Neolithic and Mesolithic ancestry were assessed in Finnish populations. The distribution of these uniparental markers revealed a northeastern bias for hunter-gatherer haplogroups, while haplogroups associated with the farming lifestyle clustered in the southwest. In addition, a correlation could be observed between more ancient mitochondrial haplogroup age and eastern concentration. These results coupled with prior archeological evidence suggest the genetic northeast/southwest division observed in contemporary Finland represents an ancient vestigial border between Mesolithic and Neolithic populations undetectable in most other regions of Europe.
- Published
- 2015
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