This study analyzes ancient DNA to reveal the 2500-year evolutionary history of human betaherpesviruses 6A and 6B, showing established diversity by the 14th century and ancient integration into the human genome.

Science Advances · Jan 2, 2026Peer-reviewedEvolutionary Biology

The Genetic Origin of the Indo-Europeans

Iosif Lazaridis, Nick J. Patterson, David W. Anthony, Leonid A. Vyazov, Romain Fournier, Harald Ringbauer, Íñigo Olalde, Alexander A. Khokhlov, Egor Petrovich Kitov, Natalia Shishlina, Sorin Ailincăi, Danila S. Agapov, Sergey A. Agapov, Elena Batieva, Bauyrzhan A. Baitanayev, , David Reich

This paper uses ancient DNA data to trace the genetic origins of the Yamnaya culture and links their expansion to the spread of Indo-European languages.

Nature · Feb 5, 2025Peer-reviewedGenetics

Bronze Age Northern Eurasian Genetics in the Context of Development of Metallurgy and Siberian Ancestry

Ainash Childebayeva, Fabian Fricke, Adam B. Rohrlach, Lei Haley Huang, Stephan Schiffels, Outi Vesakoski, Kristiina Mannermaa, Lena Semerau, Franziska Aron, Константин Николаевич Солодовников, Marina P. Rykun, Vyacheslav G. Moiseyev, Valeri I. Khartanovich, Igor Kovtun, Johannes Krause, , Wolfgang Haak

This study analyzes the genetic profiles of Bronze Age metallurgical individuals to explore genetic heterogeneity and the spread of Siberian ancestry across Northern Eurasia.

Communications Biology · Jun 11, 2024Peer-reviewedGenetics

The population history of northeastern Siberia since the Pleistocene

Martin Sikora, Владимир Викторович Питулько, Vítor C. Sousa, Morten E. Allentoft, Lasse Vinner, Simon Rasmussen, Ashot Margaryan, Peter de Barros Damgaard, Constanza de la Fuente Castro, Gabriel Renaud, Melinda A. Yang, Qiaomei Fu, Isabelle Dupanloup, Konstantinos Giampoudakis, David Nogués‐Bravo, , Eske Willerslev

This paper analyzes ancient genomes from northeastern Siberia to reveal complex population migrations and admixture events over the past 40,000 years.

Nature · Jun 5, 2019Peer-reviewedGenomics

Ancient Fennoscandian genomes reveal origin and spread of Siberian ancestry in Europe

Thiseas C. Lamnidis, Kerttu Majander, Choongwon Jeong, Elina Salmela, Anna Wessman, Vyacheslav G. Moiseyev, Valeri I. Khartanovich, Oleg Pavlovich Balanovsky, Matthias Ongyerth, Antje Weihmann, Antti Sajantila, Janet F. Kelso, Svante Pääbo, Päivi Onkamo, Wolfgang Haak, , Stephan Schiffels

The paper analyzes ancient genomes from Finland and Northwest Russia to show Siberian ancestry in northern Europe dates back 3,500 years and influenced modern Uralic-speaking populations.

Nature Communications · Nov 21, 2018Peer-reviewedGenomics

The Genetic History of Northern Europe

Alissa Mittnik, Chuan‐Chao Wang, Saskia Pfrengle, Mantas Daubaras, Gunita Zariņa, Fredrik Hallgren, Raili Allmäe, Valery Khartanovich, Vyacheslav G. Moiseyev, Anja Furtwängler, Aida Andrades Valtueña, Michal Feldman, Christos Economou, M. Oinonen, Andrejs Vasks, , Johannes Krause

This paper presents ancient DNA data from Northern Europe to reconstruct the genetic history of the region, showing earlier Anatolian farmer ancestry and the impact of steppe pastoralists.

bioRxiv · Mar 3, 2017 · PreprintGenetics

Massive migration from the steppe is a source for Indo-European languages in Europe

Wolfgang Haak, Iosif Lazaridis, Nick Patterson, Nadin Rohland, Swapan Mallick, Bastien Llamas, Guido Brandt, Susanne Nordenfelt, Eadaoin Harney, Kristin Stewardson, Qiaomei Fu, Alissa Mittnik, Eszter Bánffy, Christos Economou, Michael Francken, , Kurt We

The paper analyzes ancient DNA data from 69 Europeans to show that a massive migration from the steppe contributed to the genetic makeup of present-day Europeans and supports a steppe origin for some Indo-European languages.

bioRxiv · Feb 10, 2015Genetics