Ancient human genomes from the Altai region reveal population continuity and shifts in the 4th-12th centuries

AI interpretationAI-generated

Altai genomes trace 1,400 years of steppe continuity and Turkic-era East Asian influx.

This study sequenced 91 ancient genomes from the Altai and Ob regions, spanning roughly the 4th to 12th centuries. It shows that Iron Age genetic diversity persisted into medieval times, while a large-scale spread of East Asian ancestry arrived alongside Turkic cultural customs. The authors also found a unique early medieval Altai lineage with high Ancient North Eurasian ancestry, linking ancient north Eurasian hunter-gatherers to modern North Asian populations.

• Iron Age genetic diversity continued into the medieval period in the Altai.
• East Asian ancestry spread widely with the rise of Turkic cultural customs.
• A unique early medieval Altai lineage with elevated Ancient North Eurasian ancestry bridges hunter-gatherers and modern North Asians.

Sample interpretation

The dataset includes 97 site samples, with 61 resolved Y-chromosome lineages. Cultures are dominated by Scytho-Siberian/Turkic (64) and Turkic (21), plus smaller Srostki, Odintsovo, and Bulan-Koby groups. Top Y haplogroups include R-Y20747, J-PH1795, R-YP1542, R-S23592, and J-FT3733. Top mtDNA lineages are A-a1b, A-a1, C4a1a-T195C!, D4j8, and F1b1b. The largest site contributors are ALTS031W (13), ALTS043W (6), and several sites with 5 or fewer samples.

For genealogy enthusiasts

For ancestry enthusiasts, this study confirms the Altai as a long-term genetic crossroads. It highlights both continuity and the detectable arrival of East Asian ancestry with Turkic expansion, and provides a rare link between ancient North Eurasian hunter-gatherers and present-day North Asian populations.