Abstract
Where did the Europeans' ancestors come from, and when? Are modern Europeans the direct descendants of the paleolithic hunter-gatherers who settled Europe some 45 000 years ago, or do they mainly derive from the Neolithic farmers who spread from the Levant 10 000 years ago? One would expect archaeologists to discuss these questions, but the last few decades demonstrate that the studies of modern genetic diversity can provide crucial relevant evidence. In a recent issue of Science, Haak et al (2005) go one step further by typing a stretch of ancient mitochondrial DNA in the largest sample so far from European prehistoric farming communities. The authors successfully amplified and typed 24 mitochondrial sequences from skeletons excavated in 16 Neolithic sites in Germany, Hungary and Austria. Only three Neolithic sequences were previously known, and so this study increases the available data by a factor of 10. However, even beyond the technical achievement, these ancient DNA data could provide important insights in an ongoing controversy.
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