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Genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia reveal colonization routes and high-latitude adaptation

View ORCID ProfileTorsten Günther, View ORCID ProfileHelena Malmström, View ORCID ProfileEmma M. Svensson, Ayça Omrak, View ORCID ProfileFederico Sánchez-Quinto, Gülşah M. Kılınç, Maja Krzewińska, View ORCID ProfileGunilla Eriksson, Magdalena Fraser, Hanna Edlund, Arielle R. Munters, Alexandra Coutinho, Luciana G. Simões, Mário Vicente, Anders Sjölander, Berit Jansen Sellevold, Roger Jørgensen, View ORCID ProfilePeter Claes, View ORCID ProfileMark D. Shriver, View ORCID ProfileCristina Valdiosera, View ORCID ProfileMihai G. Netea, Jan Apel, Kerstin Lidén, Birgitte Skar, Jan Storå, View ORCID ProfileAnders Götherström, View ORCID ProfileMattias Jakobsson
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/164400
Torsten Günther
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Helena Malmström
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Emma M. Svensson
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Ayça Omrak
2 Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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Federico Sánchez-Quinto
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Gülşah M. Kılınç
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
2 Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
3 Middle East Technical University, Department of Biological Sciences, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
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Maja Krzewińska
2 Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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Gunilla Eriksson
2 Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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Magdalena Fraser
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
4 Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University-Campus Gotland, 62167 Visby, Sweden
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Hanna Edlund
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Arielle R. Munters
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Alexandra Coutinho
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Luciana G. Simões
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Mário Vicente
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Anders Sjölander
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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Berit Jansen Sellevold
5 NIKU - Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research
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Roger Jørgensen
6 Tromsø University Museum, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, P.O. Box 6050 Langnes, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway
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Peter Claes
7 Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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Mark D. Shriver
8 Department of Anthropology, Penn State University, 16801, University Park, USA
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Cristina Valdiosera
9 Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
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Mihai G. Netea
10 Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Jan Apel
11 Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University, 22100, Lund, Sweden
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Kerstin Lidén
2 Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
6 Tromsø University Museum, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, P.O. Box 6050 Langnes, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway
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Birgitte Skar
12 Department of Archaeology and and Cultural History, NTNU University Museum, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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Jan Storå
2 Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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Anders Götherström
2 Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
13 SciLife Lab
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Mattias Jakobsson
1 Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
13 SciLife Lab
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Abstract

Scandinavia was one of the last geographic areas in Europe to become habitable for humans after the last glaciation. However, the origin(s) of the first colonizers and their migration routes remain unclear. We sequenced the genomes, up to 57x coverage, of seven hunter-gatherers excavated across Scandinavia and dated to 9,500-6,000 years before present. Surprisingly, among the Scandinavian Mesolithic individuals, the genetic data display an east-west genetic gradient that opposes the pattern seen in other parts of Mesolithic Europe. This result suggests that Scandinavia was initially colonized following two different routes: one from the south, the other from the northeast. The latter followed the ice-free Norwegian north Atlantic coast, along which novel and advanced pressure-blade stone-tool techniques may have spread. These two groups met and mixed in Scandinavia, creating a genetically diverse population, which shows patterns of genetic adaptation to high latitude environments. These adaptations include high frequencies of low pigmentation variants and a gene-region associated with physical performance, which shows strong continuity into modern-day northern Europeans.

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Posted July 30, 2017.
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Genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia reveal colonization routes and high-latitude adaptation
Torsten Günther, Helena Malmström, Emma M. Svensson, Ayça Omrak, Federico Sánchez-Quinto, Gülşah M. Kılınç, Maja Krzewińska, Gunilla Eriksson, Magdalena Fraser, Hanna Edlund, Arielle R. Munters, Alexandra Coutinho, Luciana G. Simões, Mário Vicente, Anders Sjölander, Berit Jansen Sellevold, Roger Jørgensen, Peter Claes, Mark D. Shriver, Cristina Valdiosera, Mihai G. Netea, Jan Apel, Kerstin Lidén, Birgitte Skar, Jan Storå, Anders Götherström, Mattias Jakobsson
bioRxiv 164400; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/164400
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Genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia reveal colonization routes and high-latitude adaptation
Torsten Günther, Helena Malmström, Emma M. Svensson, Ayça Omrak, Federico Sánchez-Quinto, Gülşah M. Kılınç, Maja Krzewińska, Gunilla Eriksson, Magdalena Fraser, Hanna Edlund, Arielle R. Munters, Alexandra Coutinho, Luciana G. Simões, Mário Vicente, Anders Sjölander, Berit Jansen Sellevold, Roger Jørgensen, Peter Claes, Mark D. Shriver, Cristina Valdiosera, Mihai G. Netea, Jan Apel, Kerstin Lidén, Birgitte Skar, Jan Storå, Anders Götherström, Mattias Jakobsson
bioRxiv 164400; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/164400

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