Tracing back ancient south Siberian population history using mitochondrial and Y-chromosome SNPs

Abstract

Southern Siberian populations have been the subject of intense works attempting to shed light on the peopling of Siberia. From these works, it appeared that south Siberian populations are the reflect of the complex interactions that occurred at different times between Eastern and Western Eurasian people. According to paleoantropological and modern molecular data, European populations predominated in south Siberia during the Bronze age whereas Asian component began to increase from the Iron age. To test this hypothesis we determined the mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal haplotypes and haplogroups of 29 ancient specimens from the Krasnoyarsk area (Southern Central Siberia) dating from the Bronze and Iron ages. The data obtained supported the hypothesis of the prevalence of Western Eurasian component in Southern Central Siberia in the Bronze age. Moreover, they allowed us to propose a geographic origin of the Krasnoyarsk population during this period.