Molecular Genetic Analysis of 400-Year-Old Human Remains Found in Two Yakut Burial Sites

• Published in: American Journal of Physical Anthropology
• Main Authors: Ricaut, François-Xavier, Kolodesnikov, Sergei, Keyser-Tracqui, Christine, Alekseev, Anatoly Nikoyevich, Crubézy, Eric, Ludes, Bertrand
• Other Authors: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie (LA), École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS)-Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès (UT2J)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Médecine Légale - IML (Paris, France)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2006
• Subjects: [SHS.ANTHRO-BIO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Biological anthropology; Myrane; Yakutia
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02112820; https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20195

International audience The excavation of five frozen graves at the Sytygane Syhe and Istekh-Myrane burial sites (dated at 400 years old) in central Yakutia revealed five human skeletons belonging to the Yakut population. To investigate the origin and evolution of the Yakut population as well as the kinship system between individuals buried in these two sites, DNA was extracted from bone samples and analyzed by autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) and by sequencing hypervariable region I (HV1) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. The results showed a diversity of sepulchral organizations linked probably to the social or genetic background of the subjects. Comparison of STR profiles, mitochondrial haplotypes, and haplogroups with data from Eurasian populations indicated affinities with Asian populations and suggested a relative specificity and continuity of part of the Yakut mitochondrial gene pool during the last five centuries. Moreover, our results did not support a Central Asian (with the exception of maternal lineage of West Eurasian origin) or Siberian origin of the maternal lineages of these ancient Yakut subjects, implying an ethnogenesis of the Yakut population probably more complex than previously proposed.