Ancient human genome-wide data from a 3000-year interval in the Caucasus corresponds with eco-geographic regions

AI interpretationAI-generated

Caucasus genomes over 3000 years track eco-geographic regions and steppe ancestry.

This study sequenced 45 ancient individuals from the North Caucasus spanning 3000 years. It found that Caucasus and steppe groups were genetically distinct, but northern Caucasus groups resembled southern populations, indicating Bronze Age movement across the mountains. Steppe pastoralists like Yamnaya had previously undetected farmer-related ancestry, while Steppe Maykop people carried additional Upper Palaeolithic Siberian and Native American-related ancestry.

• Caucasus and adjacent steppe groups were genetically separate over 3000 years.
• Northern Caucasus groups genetically resembled contemporaneous southern populations, suggesting Bronze Age human movement across the mountain range.
• Yamnaya and later steppe pastoralists had previously undetected farmer-related ancestry from different contact zones; Steppe Maykop individuals also had Upper Palaeolithic Siberian and Native American-related ancestry.

Sample interpretation

The site sample includes two individuals from LYG001.A0101. One male carries Y-haplogroup R-M12149, and mitochondrial lineages are U1a1a3a and H13a1a2. These genetic markers help place the individual within broader Eurasian diversity, though the small sample size limits broader conclusions.

For genealogy enthusiasts

For ancestry enthusiasts, this shows the Caucasus was a dynamic contact zone, not a barrier. Steppe ancestry formed through complex mixtures, including farmer-related and deep Siberian/Native American-related components, enriching our understanding of Eurasian population history.