1. Neolithic genomes reveal a distinct ancient HLA allele pool and population transformation in Europe
- Author
-
Clara Drummer, Janina Dose, Oliver Kohlbacher, Ben Krause-Kyora, Lisa Böhme, Alexander Immel, Jan Christian Kässens, Almut Nebel, Martin Furholt, David Ellinghaus, Iain Mathieson, Tobias L. Lenz, Katharina Fuchs, Rodrigo Barquera, Julian Susat, Johannes Müller, Andre Franke, Johannes Krause, András Szolek, John Meadows, Joanna H. Bonczarowska, Federica Pierini, Christoph Rinne, and Schade-Lindig S
- Subjects
education.field_of_study ,Human leukocyte antigen gene ,Genetic heterogeneity ,Evolutionary biology ,Western europe ,Population ,Human leukocyte antigen ,Allele ,Biology ,education ,Genome - Abstract
The Wartberg culture (WBC, 3,500-2,800 BCE) dates to the Late Neolithic period, a time of important demographic and cultural transformations in western Europe. We perform a genome-wide analysis of 42 individuals who were interred in a WBC collective burial in Niedertiefenbach, Germany (3,300-3,200 cal. BCE). Our results highlight that the Niedertiefenbach population indeed emerged at the beginning of the WBC. This farming community was genetically heterogeneous and carried a surprisingly large hunter-gatherer ancestry component (40%). We detect considerable differences in the human leukocyte antigen gene pool between contemporary Europeans and the Niedertiefenbach individuals whose immune response was primarily geared towards defending viral infections.
- Published
- 2019