Maternal Genetic Composition of a Medieval Population from a Hungarian-Slavic Contact Zone in Central Europe

Veronika Csákyová; Anna Szécsényi-Nagy; Aranka Csősz; Melinda Nagy; Gabriel Fusek; Péter Langó; Miroslav Bauer; Balázs Gusztáv Mende; Pavol Makovický; Mária Bauerová

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151206

Maternal Genetic Composition of a Medieval Population from a Hungarian-Slavic Contact Zone in Central Europe

PLoS One. 2016 Mar 10;11(3):e0151206. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151206. eCollection 2016.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Botany and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia.
² Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
³ Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, J. Selye University in Komárno, Komárno, Slovakia.
⁴ Institute of Archaeology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Nitra, Slovakia.
⁵ Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
⁶ Research Institute for Animal Production, NAFC, Nitra, Slovakia.

Abstract

The genetic composition of the medieval populations of Central Europe has been poorly investigated to date. In particular, the region of modern-day Slovakia is a blank spot in archaeogenetic research. This paper reports the study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in ancient samples from the 9th-12th centuries originating from the cemeteries discovered in Nitra-Šindolka and Čakajovce, located in western Slovakia (Central Europe). This geographical region is interesting to study because its medieval multi-ethnic population lived in the so-called contact zone of the territory of the Great Moravian and later Hungarian state formations. We described 16 different mtDNA haplotypes in 19 individuals, which belong to the most widespread European mtDNA haplogroups: H, J, T, U and R0. Using comparative statistical and population genetic analyses, we showed the differentiation of the European gene pool in the medieval period. We also demonstrated the heterogeneous genetic characteristics of the investigated population and its affinity to the populations of modern Europe.

Publication types

Historical Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics*
Female
Genetics, Medical*
Haplotypes*
History, Medieval
Humans
Hungary
Male
Population Dynamics / history*
Slovakia

Substances

DNA, Mitochondrial

Grants and funding

This research was realized in cooperation with the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, the Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and the University of Janos Selye in Komárno, in realizing the national grant of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and Slovak Academy of Sciences (Vedecká grantová agentúra Ministerstva školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky a Slovenskej akadémie vied) VEGA 1/0897/12 „Archaeogenetic research of contact zone from the 10th century in Slovakia“ (MaB) and later supported also by the project of University Grant Agency of the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra UGA VIII/5/2015 (VC). The grants funded the research but had no role in study desing data collection and analysis. URLs: https://www.minedu.sk/rozpis-dotacii-na-nove-a-pokracujuce-projekty-vega-na-rok-2012/; https://www.ukf.sk/projekty/univerzitna-grantova-agentura.