Research Article

Genetic analysis and ethnic affinities from two Scytho-Siberian skeletons

  1. François-Xavier Ricaut1,2,*,
  2. Christine Keyser-Tracqui1,
  3. Laurence Cammaert3,
  4. Eric Crubézy2,
  5. Bertrand Ludes1,2

Article first published online: 28 JUL 2003

DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.10323

Issue

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Volume 123, Issue 4, pages 351–360, April 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Ricaut, F.-X., Keyser-Tracqui, C., Cammaert, L., Crubézy, E. and Ludes, B. (2004), Genetic analysis and ethnic affinities from two Scytho-Siberian skeletons. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 123: 351–360. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.10323

Author Information

  1. 1

    Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire, Institut de Médecine Légale, 67085 Strasbourg, France

  2. 2

    Anthropobiologie, Université Paul Sabatier, CNRS, UMR 8555, 31000 Toulouse, France

  3. 3

    Laboratory of Anthropology and Prehistory, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

*Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire, Institut de Médecine Légale, 11 rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 MAR 2004
  2. Article first published online: 28 JUL 2003
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 31 MAR 2003
  4. Manuscript Received: 13 SEP 2002

Funded by

  • French Department of Research

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Keywords:

  • ancient DNA;
  • STRs;
  • HV1 region;
  • haplogroup;
  • Scythian;
  • Central Asia

Abstract

We extracted DNA from two skeletons belonging to the Sytho-Siberian population, which were excavated from the Sebÿstei site (dating back 2,500 years) in the Altai Republic (Central Asia). Ancient DNA was analyzed by autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) and by the sequencing of the hypervariable region 1 (HV1) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. The results showed that these two skeletons were not close relatives. Moreover, their haplogroups were characteristic of Asian populations. Comparison with the haplogroup of 3,523 Asian and American individuals linked one skeleton with a putative ancestral paleo-Asiatic population and the other with Chinese populations. It appears that the genetic study of ancient populations of Central Asia brings important elements to the understanding of human population movements in Asia. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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