Scientists have identified a genetic gap between generations in Europe
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- Scientists have identified a genetic gap between generations in Europe
A genetic study of 132 people buried in a large megalithic tomb near the town of Bury, 50 km from Paris, has revealed evidence of a sharp decline and population change during the Stone Age. This was reported on July 8 by Science Daily magazine.
According to the results of the work, the burial site was used in two different periods, separated by a large-scale demographic crisis around 3000 BC.
DNA analysis showed that the people buried before and after this event were not closely related. This indicates that the indigenous population has practically disappeared and been replaced by migrants.
Frederik Valer Seersholm, a scientist at the Globus Institute at the University of Copenhagen and one of the authors of the study
We see a clear genetic gap between the two periods. The early group resembles Stone Age farming populations from Northern France and Germany, while the later one shows close genetic ties to Southern France and the Iberian Peninsula.
To find the causes of the decline, the researchers applied the technology of studying all the genetic material preserved in ancient bones. This revealed traces of several pathogens, including the plague bacillus Yersinia pestis and Borrelia recurrentis, which causes recurrent typhus. Experts note that although the plague was present in the population, it was not the only factor in the disaster.
Martin Sikora, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen and senior author of the study
We can confirm the presence of the plague, but the data do not allow us to consider it the only reason for the population decline. The decline was probably caused by a combination of diseases, environmental stress, and other destructive events.
According to the publication, the remains also indicate a deep social crisis: archaeologists have recorded an unusually high mortality rate in the early period of burials, especially among children and youth. According to Laure Salanova, director of research at the French National Center for Scientific Research, such a demographic structure is a sure sign of a large-scale disaster.
Genetic data confirmed that population replacement was accompanied by social changes. In the early period, several generations of extended families were buried in the tomb, which indicates closely connected communities. In the later period, burials became more selective — they were dominated by one male line, which indicates a change in the structure of society.
According to scientists, the new data supports the hypothesis that the Neolithic decline affected vast areas of Northern and Western Europe. This also explains why the construction of megaliths and massive stone monuments stopped across the continent at about the same time.
On June 18, Science Daily reported the discovery of a 5.5 thousand-year-old plague strain. Scientists have studied the DNA of ancient people from four hunter-gatherer graves in Eastern Siberia and found that traces of infection with Yersinia pestis (plague bacillus) contained almost 40% of the remains. According to the publication, this detection rate of the pathogen exceeds that of some medieval burials.
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