DNA Shows First Scandinavians Followed Two Distinct Migration Routes

AncientPage.com - We posses plenty of information about the Vikings, but our knowledge of the first Scandinavians is still limited.

Who were the first Scandinavians? Where did they come from and how did they get to the cold countries in Northern Europe?

A new DNA study sheds new light on the first people to arrive in Scandinavia.

Researchers from Uppsala University, working with an international team have conducted a study based on genomic data. The results show that the first human settlers on the Scandinavian peninsula followed two distinct migration routes.

There is evidence of human presence in Scandinavia from around 11,700 years ago.

Homann Map of Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Baltics. Johann Baptist Homann (1664 – 1724) was a German geographer and cartographer.

Homann Map of Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Baltics. Johann Baptist Homann (1664 – 1724) was a German geographer and cartographer.

Similarities between stone tool artifacts found in Scandinavia and those seen in both Western Europe and Eastern Europe suggest that several groups may have migrated into the area when the ice retreated. Archaeologists have been aware of these similarities, but until now the migration routes and genetic makeup of the first Scandinavians have been somewhat of a mystery.

By sequencing the genomes of 7 hunter-gatherers excavated across Scandinavia and dated to be 9,500-6,000 years old, the researchers found that migrations into the Scandinavian peninsula most likely followed two routes; one from central Europe and one from the Northeast along the Norwegian Atlantic Coast. The two groups met and mixed in Scandinavia, creating a genetically diverse population with many genetic variants that have not been passed down to modern-day Europeans.

DNA Shows First Scandinavians Followed Two Distinct Migration Routes

These are skeletal fragments from Hummervikholmen, one of sites featured in this study.
Credit: Beate Kjørslevik CC-BY.

"We used cutting-edge genomic approaches to investigate hypotheses about the early colonization of northern Europe after the ice-sheet of the last glaciation retracted. It is really great to see how evidence from different disciplines can be combined to understand these complex past demographic processes," said population geneticist Torsten Günther, one of the lead authors.

He adds: "Our findings are important for human genetics, archaeology and anthropology, and it will be interesting to see what similar approaches can tell us about the post glacial population dynamics in other parts of Europe and the rest of the world."

See also:

Varggrottan: Mysterious ‘Wolf Cave’ Was Home To Neanderthals 130,000 Years Ago – Oldest Human Dwelling In Scandinavia

10 Surprising Facts About The Neanderthals Who Were Not As Primitive As Previously Thought

Legendary Ynglings: Descendants Of The Norse Gods And Oldest Scandinavian King Dynasty

The DNA study showed also that the first people who arrived in Scandinavia adapted to the cold and low daylight conditions found in high-latitude environments.

Several genetic variants in the hunter-gatherers were linked to a gene associated with physical performance, which scientists think could be part of the physiological adaptation to cold.

The hunter-gatherers also had a high frequency of genetic variants linked to reduced skin pigmentation -- a known adaptation to environments with low UV radiation, such as those at high latitude.

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