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DNA analysis reveals insights into Ötzi the Iceman's mountain neighbors

Ötzi the Iceman isn't the only ancient individual whose DNA is giving us insights into the past. So too are those of his neighbors. A new analysis of the genomes of 47 people who lived in the Austrian Tyrol between 6400 and 1300 B.C. shows their ancestry differed markedly from Ötzi's.

In the study in the journal Nature Communications, Valentina Coia and her colleagues investigated the genetic makeup and diversity of populations in the part of the Alps where Ötzi's mummified and frozen corpse was discovered in 1991.

Previous research on one of the world's most famous mummies revealed that his genome was closely related to Neolithic farmers in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). In this latest research, scientists wanted to see if the same was true of his neighbors.

Ancient DNA

The researchers extracted and studied DNA from the bones and teeth of individuals living in the Alps from the Mesolithic to the Middle Bronze Age. The results revealed that these people shared between 80% and 90% of their ancestry with early Anatolian farmers. The study also noted that most of these people shared a similar genetic makeup, one that hadn't changed much in more than 2,000 years.

What was surprising about this result was that elsewhere in Europe, genomes showed evidence of different waves of migration. But this part of the Alps remained fairly genetically stable.

"Our study reveals that the Tyrolean Iceman was not an isolated case, but part of a broader pattern of genetic continuity in the Eastern Alps, with only limited impact from later migrations," wrote Valentina Coia, the paper's corresponding author.

Ötzi's unique lineage

Still, Ötzi's genome wasn't identical to his neighbors. Analysis of the Y-chromosome, which helps trace paternal lineage, showed that the males in this study shared an ancestry found in prehistoric Germany and France. Ötzi's paternal lineage, however, was more widespread.

The Alpine maternal lineage was more diverse. This suggests that men likely remained in the places where they were born, while women moved to join their husbands' communities. Ötzi's specific maternal lineage has not been found in ancient or modern people, nor in the group examined in this latest study.

This presents us with an intriguing mystery. Was Ötzi part of a group that died out? Or does his unique lineage say something about how early societies were organized, or even suggest that his community was living in exile?

While scientists are pondering those questions, the study has given us a few more insights into Ötzi's neighbors. Because previous research had revealed Ötzi to have dark hair and dark eyes, scientists looked for those traits in six genomes where sufficient material was available. They concluded that, similar to the Iceman, these ancient Alpine people had dark hair and brown eyes. And like Ötzi, they were also lactose intolerant.