AI interpretationAI-generated
DNA reveals Abkhazia's wild woman Zana was of East African origin, not a cryptid.
Zana was a 19th-century woman captured living wild in Abkhazia, called an Almasty. Ancient DNA from her alleged skeleton and her son Khwit shows they are mother and son, with identical mtDNA. Her ancestry traces to present-day East African populations. She likely had a genetic disorder causing excessive hair and speech issues, explaining local legends of a cryptic hominid.
- Zana and her son Khwit share identical mtDNA and a parent-offspring relationship, confirming the skeleton is Zana.
- Zana's immediate genetic ancestry likely traces to present-day East African populations.
- She may have had congenital generalized hypertrichosis, explaining her unusual appearance and behavior.
Sample interpretation
Two individuals were sequenced: Zana and her son Khwit. Both carry mtDNA haplogroup L2b1b1, an African lineage, confirming their maternal link. Only one Y-chromosome haplogroup was resolved: R-FTA50400, from Khwit. This Y lineage is not African, indicating Khwit's father was local. The mtDNA and Y results together show Zana was an African woman who had a child with a local man.
For genealogy enthusiasts
For ancestry enthusiasts, this case shows how ancient DNA can solve folklore mysteries. It also highlights that unusual traits can be genetic, not supernatural, and that African maternal lineages like L2b1b1 can appear in unexpected places through migration and admixture.
Abstract
Enigmatic phenomena have sparked the imagination of people around the globe intocreating folkloric creatures. One prime example is Zana of Abkhazia (South Caucasus),a well-documented 19th century female who was captured living wild in the forest.Zana's appearance was sufficiently unusual, that she was referred to by locals as anAlmasty—the analog of Bigfoot in the Caucasus. Although the exact location ofZana's burial site was unknown, the grave of her son, Khwit, was identified in 1971.The genomes of Khwit and the alleged Zana skeleton were sequenced to an averagedepth of ca. 3 using ancient DNA techniques. The identical mtDNA and parent-offspring relationship between the two indicated that the unknown woman wasindeed Zana. Population genomic analyses demonstrated that Zana's immediategenetic ancestry can likely be traced to present-day East-African populations. Wespeculate that Zana might have had a genetic disorder such as congenital generalizedhypertrichosis which could partially explain her strange behavior, lack of speech, andlong body hair. Our findings elucidate Zana's unfortunate story and provide a clearexample of how prejudices of the time led to notions of cryptic hominids that are stillheld and transmitted by some today.