Mongolia and the Altai Mountains: Origins of genetic blending between Europeans and Asians
Monday, November 12, 2012 - 11:00
in Paleontology & Archaeology
A group of researchers led by the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) has discovered the first scientific evidence of genetic blending between Europeans and Asians in the remains of ancient Scythian warriors living over 2,000 years ago in the Altai region of Mongolia. Contrary to what was believed until now, the results published in PLoS ONE indicate that this blending was not due to an eastward migration of Europeans, but to a demographic expansion of local Central Asian populations, thanks to the technological improvements the Scythian culture brought with them.