What’s new:
Researchers from Germany and the USA have developed a genetic tool named “ancIBD,” advancing the ability to identify prehistoric individuals’ relatives up to the sixth degree. Their method reveals new insights into the migration patterns of ancestors through an analysis of ancient genomes from the Eurasian region.
Why it matters:
The discovery allows historians and archaeologists to better understand familial relations and population dynamics among prehistoric cultures. Specifically, this tool has provided evidence supporting the rapid spread and influence of the Yamnaya culture and Proto-Indo-Europeans across Europe and Asia, reshaping the historical narrative of these ancient civilizations.
How it works:
The ancIBD tool overcomes previous challenges presented by degraded DNA sequences in ancient remains. By comparing shared Identity by Descent (IBD) segments of DNA co-inherited from common ancestors, researchers can identify distant relatives, similar to the methods used by commercial genetics companies.
Key findings:
Using ancIBD, scientists detected hundreds of previously undetected pairs of relatives and clarified the genetic links between the Yamnaya culture and populations as far as the Afanasievo culture in Central Asia. This suggests swift migration and settlement over generations, impacting the understanding of language evolution, including most European, Iranic, and Indic languages.
The bigger picture:
This method opens up new possibilities in archaeological research for mapping prehistoric migrations and cultural exchanges. It further reinforces theories on the common ancestry of numerous modern languages and allows for a more granular study of ancient populations’ lives and movements.
Implications for Europeans:
An important aspect of this research shows the genetic correlation between the Yamnaya and the Corded Ware culture in Europe, indicating a significant genetic influx in Europeans corresponding with the spread of the Yamnaya people. This ties together linguistic and genetic lines of evidence in the story of European settlement and development.
Broader impact:
This innovation aids in constructing a comprehensive picture of human history through genetic ties, providing insights into how past human connections shaped the modern world. As such, this research does not only shed light on the ancient past but also fortifies the understanding of our collective human journey.
This story was first published on jpost.com.