The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe

Iñigo Olalde (), Selina Brace, Morten E. Allentoft, Ian Armit, Kristian Kristiansen, Thomas Booth, Nadin Rohland, Swapan Mallick, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Alissa Mittnik, Eveline Altena, Mark Lipson, Iosif Lazaridis, Thomas K. Harper, Nick Patterson, Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht, Yoan Diekmann, Zuzana Faltyskova, Daniel Fernandes, Matthew Ferry, Eadaoin Harney, Peter de Knijff, Megan Michel, Jonas Oppenheimer, Kristin Stewardson, Alistair Barclay, Kurt Werner Alt, Corina Liesau, Patricia Ríos, Concepción Blasco, Jorge Vega Miguel, Roberto Menduiña García, Azucena Avilés Fernández, Eszter Bánffy, Maria Bernabò-Brea, David Billoin, Clive Bonsall, Laura Bonsall, Tim Allen, Lindsey Büster, Sophie Carver, Laura Castells Navarro, Oliver E. Craig, Gordon T. Cook, Barry Cunliffe, Anthony Denaire, Kirsten Egging Dinwiddy, Natasha Dodwell, Michal Ernée, Christopher Evans, Milan Kuchařík, Joan Francès Farré, Chris Fowler, Michiel Gazenbeek, Rafael Garrido Pena, María Haber-Uriarte, Elżbieta Haduch, Gill Hey, Nick Jowett, Timothy Knowles, Ken Massy, Saskia Pfrengle, Philippe Lefranc, Olivier Lemercier, Arnaud Lefebvre, César Heras Martínez, Virginia Galera Olmo, Ana Bastida Ramírez, Joaquín Lomba Maurandi, Tona Majó, Jacqueline I. McKinley, Kathleen McSweeney, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Alessandra Modi, Gabriella Kulcsár, Viktória Kiss, András Czene, Róbert Patay, Anna Endrődi, Kitti Köhler, Tamás Hajdu, Tamás Szeniczey, János Dani, Zsolt Bernert, Maya Hoole, Olivia Cheronet, Denise Keating, Petr Velemínský, Miroslav Dobeš, Francesca Candilio, Fraser Brown, Raúl Flores Fernández, Ana-Mercedes Herrero-Corral, Sebastiano Tusa, Emiliano Carnieri, Luigi Lentini, Antonella Valenti, Alessandro Zanini, Clive Waddington, Germán Delibes, Elisa Guerra-Doce, Benjamin Neil, Marcus Brittain, Mike Luke, Richard Mortimer, Jocelyne Desideri, Marie Besse, Günter Brücken, Mirosław Furmanek, Agata Hałuszko, Maksym Mackiewicz, Artur Rapiński, Stephany Leach, Ignacio Soriano, Katina T. Lillios, João Luís Cardoso, Michael Parker Pearson, Piotr Włodarczak, T. Douglas Price, Pilar Prieto, Pierre-Jérôme Rey, Roberto Risch, Manuel A. Rojo Guerra, Aurore Schmitt, Joël Serralongue, Ana Maria Silva, Václav Smrčka, Luc Vergnaud, João Zilhão, David Caramelli, Thomas Higham, Mark G. Thomas, Douglas J. Kennett, Harry Fokkens, Volker Heyd, Alison Sheridan, Karl-Göran Sjögren, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Johannes Krause, Ron Pinhasi, Wolfgang Haak, Ian Barnes, Carles Lalueza-Fox and David Reich ()
Additional contact information
Iñigo Olalde: Harvard Medical School
Selina Brace: Natural History Museum
Morten E. Allentoft: Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen
Ian Armit: School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford
Kristian Kristiansen: University of Gothenburg
Thomas Booth: Natural History Museum
Nadin Rohland: Harvard Medical School
Swapan Mallick: Harvard Medical School
Anna Szécsényi-Nagy: Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Alissa Mittnik: Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen
Eveline Altena: Leiden University Medical Center
Mark Lipson: Harvard Medical School
Iosif Lazaridis: Harvard Medical School
Thomas K. Harper: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Nick Patterson: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht: Harvard Medical School
Yoan Diekmann: Evolution and Environment, University College London
Zuzana Faltyskova: Evolution and Environment, University College London
Daniel Fernandes: Earth Institute, University College Dublin
Matthew Ferry: Harvard Medical School
Eadaoin Harney: Harvard Medical School
Peter de Knijff: Leiden University Medical Center
Megan Michel: Harvard Medical School
Jonas Oppenheimer: Harvard Medical School
Kristin Stewardson: Harvard Medical School
Alistair Barclay: Wessex Archaeology
Kurt Werner Alt: Center of Natural and Cultural History of Man, Danube Private University
Corina Liesau: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Patricia Ríos: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Concepción Blasco: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Jorge Vega Miguel: ARGEA S.L.
Roberto Menduiña García: ARGEA S.L.
Azucena Avilés Fernández: Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Murcia
Eszter Bánffy: Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Maria Bernabò-Brea: Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Parma
David Billoin: INRAP, Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives
Clive Bonsall: School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh
Laura Bonsall: 10 Merchiston Gardens
Tim Allen: Oxford Archaeology
Lindsey Büster: School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford
Sophie Carver: University of Bristol
Laura Castells Navarro: School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford
Oliver E. Craig: BioArCh, University of York
Gordon T. Cook: Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride
Barry Cunliffe: Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford
Anthony Denaire: University of Burgundy
Kirsten Egging Dinwiddy: Wessex Archaeology
Natasha Dodwell: Oxford Archaeology East
Michal Ernée: Institute of Archaeology, Czech Academy of Sciences
Christopher Evans: Cambridge Archaeological Unit, University of Cambridge
Milan Kuchařík: Labrys o.p.s.
Joan Francès Farré: Museu i Poblat Ibèric de Ca n'Oliver
Chris Fowler: School of History, Classics & Archaeology, Newcastle University
Michiel Gazenbeek: INRAP, Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives
Rafael Garrido Pena: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
María Haber-Uriarte: Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Murcia
Elżbieta Haduch: Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University
Gill Hey: Oxford Archaeology
Nick Jowett: Great Orme Mines, Great Orme
Timothy Knowles: Bristol Radiocarbon Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Bristol
Ken Massy: Institut für Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Provinzialrömische Archäologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Saskia Pfrengle: Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen
Philippe Lefranc: INRAP, Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives
Olivier Lemercier: Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3, UMR 5140 ASM
Arnaud Lefebvre: INRAP, Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives
César Heras Martínez: TRÉBEDE, Patrimonio y Cultura SL, Torres de la Alameda
Virginia Galera Olmo: Universidad de Alcalá
Ana Bastida Ramírez: TRÉBEDE, Patrimonio y Cultura SL, Torres de la Alameda
Joaquín Lomba Maurandi: Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Murcia
Tona Majó: Archaeom, Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Jacqueline I. McKinley: Wessex Archaeology
Kathleen McSweeney: School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh
Balázs Gusztáv Mende: Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Alessandra Modi: University of Florence
Gabriella Kulcsár: Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Viktória Kiss: Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
András Czene: Salisbury Ltd
Róbert Patay: Ferenczy Museum Center
Anna Endrődi: Budapest History Museum
Kitti Köhler: Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Tamás Hajdu: Eötvös Loránd University
Tamás Szeniczey: Eötvös Loránd University
János Dani: Déri Museum
Zsolt Bernert: Hungarian Natural History Museum
Maya Hoole: Historic Environment Scotland
Olivia Cheronet: Earth Institute, University College Dublin
Denise Keating: Humanities Institute, University College Dublin
Petr Velemínský: National Museum
Miroslav Dobeš: Institute of Archaeology, Czech Academy of Sciences
Francesca Candilio: Soprintendenza Archeologia belle arti e paesaggio per la città metropolitana di Cagliari e per le province di Oristano e Sud Sardegna
Fraser Brown: Oxford Archaeology
Raúl Flores Fernández: 46 Cuidad Real Street
Ana-Mercedes Herrero-Corral: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Sebastiano Tusa: Soprintendenza del Mare
Emiliano Carnieri: Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, Università di Palermo
Luigi Lentini: Soprintendenza per i beni culturali e ambientali di Trapani
Antonella Valenti: Prima Archeologia del Mediterraneo
Alessandro Zanini: Università degli Studi di Palermo
Clive Waddington: Archaeological Research Services Ltd
Germán Delibes: Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Valladolid
Elisa Guerra-Doce: Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Valladolid
Benjamin Neil: Cambridge Archaeological Unit, University of Cambridge
Marcus Brittain: Cambridge Archaeological Unit, University of Cambridge
Mike Luke: Albion Archaeology
Richard Mortimer: Oxford Archaeology East
Jocelyne Desideri: Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Geneva
Marie Besse: Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Geneva
Günter Brücken: General Department of Cultural Heritage Rhineland Palatinate, Department of Archaeology
Mirosław Furmanek: Institute of Archaeology, University of Wroclaw
Agata Hałuszko: Institute of Archaeology, University of Wroclaw
Maksym Mackiewicz: Institute of Archaeology, University of Wroclaw
Artur Rapiński: Institute of Archaeology, Silesian University in Opava
Stephany Leach: University of Exeter
Ignacio Soriano: Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Katina T. Lillios: University of Iowa
João Luís Cardoso: Centro de Arqueologia, Universidade de Lisboa
Michael Parker Pearson: Institute of Archaeology, University College London
Piotr Włodarczak: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences
T. Douglas Price: Laboratory for Archaeological Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Pilar Prieto: University of Santiago de Compostela
Pierre-Jérôme Rey: UMR 5204 Laboratoire Edytem, Université Savoie Mont Blanc
Roberto Risch: Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Manuel A. Rojo Guerra: Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, Valladolid University
Aurore Schmitt: UMR 7268 ADES, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Univ, EFS, Faculté de médecine Nord
Joël Serralongue: Service archéologique, Conseil Général de la Haute-Savoie
Ana Maria Silva: Laboratory of Prehistory, Research Center for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra
Václav Smrčka: Institute for History of Medicine and Foreign Languages, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
Luc Vergnaud: ANTEA Bureau d'étude en Archéologie
João Zilhão: Centro de Arqueologia, Universidade de Lisboa
David Caramelli: University of Florence
Thomas Higham: Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, RLAHA, University of Oxford
Mark G. Thomas: Evolution and Environment, University College London
Douglas J. Kennett: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Harry Fokkens: Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University
Volker Heyd: University of Bristol
Alison Sheridan: National Museums Scotland
Karl-Göran Sjögren: University of Gothenburg
Philipp W. Stockhammer: Institut für Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Provinzialrömische Archäologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Johannes Krause: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Ron Pinhasi: Earth Institute, University College Dublin
Wolfgang Haak: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Ian Barnes: Natural History Museum
Carles Lalueza-Fox: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra
David Reich: Harvard Medical School

Nature, 2018, vol. 555, issue 7695, 190-196

Abstract: Abstract From around 2750 to 2500 bc, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 bc. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain’s gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/nature25738

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