The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe
Resource type
Journal article
Creator (person)
Olalde, Ià±igo
Brace, Selina
Allentoft, Morten E
Armit, Ian
Kristiansen, Kristian
Rohland, Nadin
Mallick, Swapan
Booth, Thomas
Szécsényi-Nagy, Anna
Mittnik, Alissa
Altena, Eveline
Lipson, Mark
Lazaridis, Iosif
Patterson, Nick J
Broomandkhoshbacht, Nasreen
Diekmann, Yoan
Faltyskova, Zuzana
Fernandes, Daniel M
Ferry, Matthew
Harney, Eadaoin
de Knijff, Peter
Michel, Megan
Oppenheimer, Jonas
Stewardson, Kristin
Barclay, Alistair
Alt, Kurt W
Avilés Fernà¡ndez, Azucena
Bà¡nffy, Eszter
Bernabà²-Brea, Maria
Billoin, David
Blasco, Concepcià³n
Bonsall, Clive
Bonsall, Laura
Allen, Tim
Bà¼ster, Lindsey
Carver, Sophie
Castells Navarro, Laura
Craig, Oliver Edward
Cook, Gordon T
Cunliffe, Barry
Denaire, Anthony
Dinwiddy, Kirsten Egging
Dodwell, Natasha
Ernée, Michal
Evans, Christopher
KuchaÅ™àk, Milan
Farré, Joan Francès
Fokkens, Harry
Fowler, Chris
Gazenbeek, Michiel
Garrido Pena, Rafael
Haber-Uriarte, Maràa
Haduch, Elżbieta
Hey, Gill
Jowett, Nick
Knowles, Timothy
Massy, Ken
Pfrengle, Saskia
Lefranc, Philippe
Lemercier, Olivier
Lefebvre, Arnaud
Joaquàn, Lomba Maurandi
Majà³, Tona
McKinley, Jacqueline I
McSweeney, Kathleen
Gusztà¡v, Mende Balà¡zs
Modi, Alessandra
Kulcsà¡r, Gabriella
Kiss, Viktà³ria
Czene, Andrà¡s
Patay, Rà³bert
Endrà³di, Anna
Kà¶hler, Kitti
Hajdu, Tamà¡s
Cardoso, Joà£o Luàs
Liesau, Corina
Pearson, Mike Parker
WÅ‚odarczak, Piotr
Price, T Douglas
Prieto, Pilar
Rey, Pierre-Jérà´me
Ràos, Patricia
Risch, Roberto
Rojo Guerra, Manuel A
Schmitt, Aurore
Serralongue, Joà«l
Silva, Ana Maria
SmrÄ ka, Và¡clav
Vergnaud, Luc
Zilhà£o, Joà£o
Caramelli, David
Higham, Thomas
Heyd, Volker
Sheridan, J A
Sjà¶gren, Karl-Gà¶ran
Thomas, Mark G
Stockhammer, Philipp W
Pinhasi, Ron
Krause, Johannes
Haak, Wolfgang
Barnes, Ian
Lalueza-Fox, Carles
Reich, David
Date published
March 8, 2018
Abstract
From around 2750 to 2500 bc, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 bc. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain’s gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries.
Journal title
Nature
Volume
555
Publisher
Springer Nature
ISSN
1476-4687
Official URL