Between Lake Baikal and the Baltic Sea: genomic history of the gateway to Europe

A comprehensive genomic analysis of populations spanning from the Baltic Sea to Lake Baikal reveals complex genetic structures and historical migration patterns in Northern Eurasia. The study, involving 1076 individuals from 30 populations, identifies significant shared genetic segments between Siberian groups like Khanty and Ket, suggesting deep ancestral connections across vast distances. It also highlights the multi-layered genetic composition of Bashkir, a Turkic-speaking group, with influences from Ugric, Finnish, and Indo-European sources. Additionally, the research uncovers a 'Great Siberian Vortex' directing genetic exchanges in Siberia and traces the origins of Russian Starovers to the Northern European Plain, with notable Central Siberian ancestry not found in their European counterparts. This work doubles the genome-wide data for this region, providing unprecedented insights into the demographic history and genetic gradients of Northern Eurasia.

Triska, P., Chekanov, N., Stepanov, V., Khusnutdinova, E. K., Kumar, G. P. A., Akhmetova, V., Babalyan, K., Boulygina, E., Kharkov, V., Gubina, M., Khidiyatova, I., Khitrinskaya, I., Khrameeva, E. E., Khusainova, R., Konovalova, N., Litvinov, S., Marusin, A., Mazur, A. M., Puzyrev, V., et al. (2017). Between Lake Baikal and the Baltic Sea: genomic history of the gateway to Europe. BMC Genetics, 18(S1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-017-0578-3