Ancient DNA from the skeletons of Roopkund Lake reveals Mediterranean migrants in India

Éadaoin Harney, Ayushi Nayak, Nick Patterson, Pramod Joglekar, Veena Mushrif-Tripathy, Swapan Mallick, Nadin Rohland, Jakob Sedig, Nicole Adamski, Rebecca Bernardos, Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht, Brendan J. Culleton, Matthew Ferry, Thomas K. Harper, Megan Michel, Jonas Oppenheimer, Kristin Stewardson, Zhao Zhang, Harashawaradhana, Maanwendra Singh Bartwal, Sachin Kumar, Subhash Chandra Diyundi, Patrick Roberts, Nicole Boivin, Douglas J. Kennett, Kumarasamy Thangaraj, David Reich () and Niraj Rai ()
Additional contact information
Éadaoin Harney: Harvard University
Ayushi Nayak: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Nick Patterson: Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
Pramod Joglekar: Deccan College
Veena Mushrif-Tripathy: Deccan College
Swapan Mallick: Harvard Medical School
Nadin Rohland: Harvard Medical School
Jakob Sedig: Harvard Medical School
Nicole Adamski: Harvard Medical School
Rebecca Bernardos: Harvard Medical School
Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht: Harvard Medical School
Brendan J. Culleton: The Pennsylvania State University
Matthew Ferry: Harvard Medical School
Thomas K. Harper: The Pennsylvania State University
Megan Michel: Harvard Medical School
Jonas Oppenheimer: Harvard Medical School
Kristin Stewardson: Harvard Medical School
Zhao Zhang: Harvard Medical School
Harashawaradhana: North West Regional Centre
Maanwendra Singh Bartwal: North West Regional Centre
Sachin Kumar: CSIR Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology
Subhash Chandra Diyundi: Gautam Budh Health Care Foundation
Patrick Roberts: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Nicole Boivin: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Douglas J. Kennett: University of California
Kumarasamy Thangaraj: CSIR Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology
David Reich: The Max Planck-Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean
Niraj Rai: CSIR Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Situated at over 5,000 meters above sea level in the Himalayan Mountains, Roopkund Lake is home to the scattered skeletal remains of several hundred individuals of unknown origin. We report genome-wide ancient DNA for 38 skeletons from Roopkund Lake, and find that they cluster into three distinct groups. A group of 23 individuals have ancestry that falls within the range of variation of present-day South Asians. A further 14 have ancestry typical of the eastern Mediterranean. We also identify one individual with Southeast Asian-related ancestry. Radiocarbon dating indicates that these remains were not deposited simultaneously. Instead, all of the individuals with South Asian-related ancestry date to ~800 CE (but with evidence of being deposited in more than one event), while all other individuals date to ~1800 CE. These differences are also reflected in stable isotope measurements, which reveal a distinct dietary profile for the two main groups.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11357-9

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