Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

3,000 years ago mass migration transformed Britain's ancient genes

by French Press Agency - AFP

PARIS Dec 23, 2021 - 4:54 pm GMT+3
France is the possible source of half of Britain's ancient genes, a new study showed. (Shutterstock Photo)
France is the possible source of half of Britain's ancient genes, a new study showed. (Shutterstock Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Dec 23, 2021 4:54 pm

A major migration into Britain from continental Europe, likely from France, about 3,000 years ago could explain a difference in ancestry between the island's northern and southern populations.

The findings published in Nature on Wednesday come from the largest ever analysis of ancient DNA and may also help shed light on how Celtic languages spread into the British Isles.

According to previous research, people living across Britain some 4,500 years ago shared similar ancestry.

But today that has changed with southern residents showing more genetic similarities to an ancient population known as early European farmers.

To figure out why, Harvard geneticist David Reich and his team in the United States sequenced ancient DNA samples from across England and much of continental Europe from a time spanning between 1,500 B.C. to A.D. 43.

The resulting timeline shows an influx of migrants between 3,300 to 2,800 years ago whose genetic material most closely resembled ancient samples from France.

Reich told AFP one of the most exciting things about the study is the number and geographic diversity of ancient DNA covered.

With genomes from nearly 800 individuals, the study is the largest in ancient DNA ever carried out and lists over 220 authors.

The migration finding may also support a recent theory that Celtic languages came to Britain around the same time.

Reich said similarities between names of geographic features in southern England and France also seem to point to France as an origin for the spread.

Archaeologist Ian Armit of the University of York led the collection of samples, which consisted of bones from archaeological sites, museums and DNA labs across Britain and in Europe.

"The collection of data took many years and involved a huge number of people," Armit told AFP.

He said recent revolutionary advances in ancient DNA analysis are a boon to the field of archaeology, allowing not only a better picture of vast population changes but shedding light on ancient family dynamics.

"We're noticing family relationships in individual cemeteries so we can start to look at how kinship is reflected in buried populations," he said.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    dna research europe france britain
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    An amateur photographer Vincent Cornelissen captures a bean goose flying upside down. (Photo from Instagram @b0unce1971)

    It is showing off: Photographer captures goose flying upside down

    ANIMALS-ARCHIVES
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    Once picnic zone near Japan nuclear plant now a no-go zone
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021