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Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants. Ancient DNA data generation Before the LGM LGM in southwestern and western Europe Post-LGM in the Italian peninsula Post-LGM in western and central Europe Post-14 ka to Neolithic Phenotypically relevant variants Discussion and conclusions Methods

RESUMEN: Se ha analizado la variabilidad del ADN mitocondrial de los restos humanos recuperados de la cueva de El Mirón (Ramales de la Victoria, Cantabria). Aunque se trata de una muestra pequeña, tiene gran importancia para ampliar nuestro conocimiento sobre los grupos de cazadores-recolectores de la región cantábrica. El linaje mitocondrial obtenido en El Mirón, corresponde al rCRS perteneciente al haplogrupo H. Hasta el momento, este linaje mitocondrial solo se ha detectado en otro cazador-recolector procedente de la cueva de la Pasiega, también en Cantabria; sin embargo sí se ha encontrado en los agropastoralistas de la franja cantábrica y de otras regiones de Europa, lo que lo que nos lleva a proponer que la diversidad del haplogrupo H aumentó a partir del Neolítico. ABSTRACT: We have analyzed the mitochondrial DNA variability of human remains recovered from the cave of El Mirón (Ramales de la Victoria, Cantabria). Although this is a small sample, is important to helping to increase our knowledge about hunter-gatherer groups from the Cantabrian region. The mitochondrial lineage of El Mirón, corresponds to rCRS belonging to haplogroup H. So far, only this mitochondrial lineage has been detected in other hunter-gatherer from cave of La Pasiega, also in Cantabria; however, this lineage has been found in the agro-pastoralist groups from Cantabrian Fringe and other regions of Europe, suggesting an increase in haplogroup H diversity beginning in Neolithic times. Este trabajo ha sido realizado gracias a la financiación recibida del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (CGL-2011-29057), Grupos de Investigación del Sistema Universitario Vasco del Gobierno Vasco (IT542-10) y Unidades de Formación e Investigación de la Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU) (UFI11/09). La datación del diente de El Mirón ha sido financiada por la Stone Age Research Fund (Jean y Ray Auel, donantes principales).