Genomic structure in Europeans dating back at least 36,200 years

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa0114
• Publication Date: 2014-11-07T08:22:03Z
• Authors: Andaine Seguin-Or...; Thorfinn S. Korne...; Martin Sikora; Anna-Sapfo Malasp...; Andrea Manica; Ida Moltke; Anders Albrechtsen; Amy Ko; Ashot Margaryan; Vyacheslav Moiseyev; Ted Goebel; Michael Westaway; David Lambert; Valeri Khartanovich; Jeffrey D. Wall; Philip R. Nigst; Robert A. Foley; Marta Mirazon Lahr; Rasmus Nielsen; Ludovic Orlando; Eske Willerslev
• Keywords: Mesolithic; European population; Ancient DNA; Divergence (linguistics); Upper Paleolithic; Western europe

The origin of contemporary Europeans remains contentious. We obtained a genome sequence from Kostenki 14 in European Russia dating 38,700 to 36,200 years ago, one the oldest fossils anatomically modern humans Europe. find that shares close ancestry with 24,000-year-old Mal’ta boy central Siberia, Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, some western Siberians, and many Europeans, but not eastern Asians. Additionally, shows evidence shared population basal all Eurasians also relates later Neolithic farmers. contains more Neandertal DNA is contained longer tracts than present Europeans. Our findings reveal timing divergence East Asians be ago genomic structure today dates back Upper Paleolithic derives metapopulation at times stretched Europe Asia.