Population genomics of the Viking world

Ashot Margaryan, Daniel J. Lawson, Martin Sikora, Fernando Racimo, Simon Rasmussen, Ida Moltke, Lara M. Cassidy, Emil Jørsboe, Andrés Ingason, Mikkel W. Pedersen, Thorfinn Korneliussen, Helene Wilhelmson, Magdalena M. Buś, Peter Barros Damgaard, Rui Martiniano, Gabriel Renaud, Claude Bhérer, J. Víctor Moreno-Mayar, Anna K. Fotakis, Marie Allen, Raili Allmäe, Martyna Molak, Enrico Cappellini, Gabriele Scorrano, Hugh McColl, Alexandra Buzhilova, Allison Fox, Anders Albrechtsen, Berit Schütz, Birgitte Skar, Caroline Arcini, Ceri Falys, Charlotte Hedenstierna Jonson, Dariusz Błaszczyk, Denis Pezhemsky, Gordon Turner-Walker, Hildur Gestsdóttir, Inge Lundstrøm, Ingrid Gustin, Ingrid Mainland, Inna Potekhina, Italo M. Muntoni, Jade Cheng, Jesper Stenderup, Jilong Ma, Julie Gibson, Jüri Peets, Jörgen Gustafsson, Katrine H. Iversen, Linzi Simpson, Lisa Strand, Louise Loe, Maeve Sikora, Marek Florek, Maria Vretemark, Mark Redknap, Monika Bajka, Tamara Pushkina, Morten Søvsø, Natalia Grigoreva, Tom Christensen, Ole Kastholm, Otto Uldum, Pasquale Favia, Per Holck, Sabine Sten, Símun V. Arge, Sturla Ellingvåg, Vayacheslav Moiseyev, Wiesław Bogdanowicz, Yvonne Magnusson, Ludovic Orlando, Peter Pentz, Mads Dengsø Jessen, Anne Pedersen, Mark Collard, Daniel G. Bradley, Marie Louise Jørkov, Jette Arneborg, Niels Lynnerup, Neil Price, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Morten E. Allentoft, Jan Bill, Søren M. Sindbæk, Lotte Hedeager, Kristian Kristiansen, Rasmus Nielsen (), Thomas Werge () and Eske Willerslev ()
Additional contact information
Ashot Margaryan: University of Copenhagen
Daniel J. Lawson: University of Bristol
Martin Sikora: University of Copenhagen
Fernando Racimo: University of Copenhagen
Simon Rasmussen: University of Copenhagen
Ida Moltke: University of Copenhagen
Lara M. Cassidy: Trinity College Dublin
Emil Jørsboe: University of Copenhagen
Andrés Ingason: University of Copenhagen
Mikkel W. Pedersen: University of Copenhagen
Thorfinn Korneliussen: University of Copenhagen
Helene Wilhelmson: Lund University
Magdalena M. Buś: Uppsala University
Peter Barros Damgaard: University of Copenhagen
Rui Martiniano: University of Cambridge
Gabriel Renaud: University of Copenhagen
Claude Bhérer: McGill University
J. Víctor Moreno-Mayar: University of Copenhagen
Anna K. Fotakis: University of Copenhagen
Marie Allen: Uppsala University
Raili Allmäe: Tallinn University
Martyna Molak: Polish Academy of Sciences
Enrico Cappellini: University of Copenhagen
Gabriele Scorrano: University of Copenhagen
Hugh McColl: University of Copenhagen
Alexandra Buzhilova: Moscow State University
Allison Fox: Manx National Heritage
Anders Albrechtsen: University of Copenhagen
Berit Schütz: Upplandsmuseet
Birgitte Skar: NTNU University Museum, Department of Archaeology and Cultural History
Caroline Arcini: National Historical Museums
Ceri Falys: Thames Valley Archaeological Services (TVAS)
Charlotte Hedenstierna Jonson: Uppsala University
Dariusz Błaszczyk: University of Warsaw
Denis Pezhemsky: Moscow State University
Gordon Turner-Walker: National Yunlin University of Science and Technology
Hildur Gestsdóttir: Institute of Archaeology
Inge Lundstrøm: University of Copenhagen
Ingrid Gustin: Lund University
Ingrid Mainland: University of the Highlands and Islands
Inna Potekhina: Institute of Archaeology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Italo M. Muntoni: Andria, Trani e Foggia
Jade Cheng: University of Copenhagen
Jesper Stenderup: University of Copenhagen
Jilong Ma: University of Copenhagen
Julie Gibson: University of the Highlands and Islands
Jüri Peets: Tallinn University
Jörgen Gustafsson: Jönköping County Museum
Katrine H. Iversen: University of Copenhagen
Linzi Simpson: Trinity College Dublin
Lisa Strand: NTNU University Museum, Department of Archaeology and Cultural History
Louise Loe: Heritage Burial Services, Oxford Archaeology
Maeve Sikora: National Museum of Ireland
Marek Florek: Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin
Maria Vretemark: Västergötlands Museum
Mark Redknap: Amgueddfa Cymru–National Museum Wales
Monika Bajka: Trzy Epoki Archaeological Service
Tamara Pushkina: Moscow State University
Morten Søvsø: Museum of Southwest Jutland
Natalia Grigoreva: Institute for the History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences
Tom Christensen: National Museum of Denmark
Ole Kastholm: Roskilde Museum
Otto Uldum: Langelands Museum
Pasquale Favia: University of Foggia
Per Holck: Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo
Sabine Sten: Uppsala University Campus Gotland
Símun V. Arge: Tjóðsavnið – Faroe Islands National Museum
Sturla Ellingvåg: University of Copenhagen
Vayacheslav Moiseyev: Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Science
Wiesław Bogdanowicz: Polish Academy of Sciences
Yvonne Magnusson: Malmö Museum
Ludovic Orlando: Laboratoire d’Anthropobiologie Moléculaire et d’Imagerie de Synthèse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier
Peter Pentz: National Museum of Denmark
Mads Dengsø Jessen: National Museum of Denmark
Anne Pedersen: National Museum of Denmark
Mark Collard: Simon Fraser University
Daniel G. Bradley: Trinity College Dublin
Marie Louise Jørkov: University of Copenhagen
Jette Arneborg: National Museum of Denmark
Niels Lynnerup: University of Copenhagen
Neil Price: Uppsala University
M. Thomas P. Gilbert: University of Copenhagen
Morten E. Allentoft: University of Copenhagen
Jan Bill: University of Oslo
Søren M. Sindbæk: Aarhus University
Lotte Hedeager: Conservation and History
Kristian Kristiansen: University of Gothenburg
Rasmus Nielsen: University of Copenhagen
Thomas Werge: University of Copenhagen
Eske Willerslev: University of Copenhagen

Nature, 2020, vol. 585, issue 7825, 390-396

Abstract: Abstract The maritime expansion of Scandinavian populations during the Viking Age (about ad 750–1050) was a far-flung transformation in world history1,2. Here we sequenced the genomes of 442 humans from archaeological sites across Europe and Greenland (to a median depth of about 1×) to understand the global influence of this expansion. We find the Viking period involved gene flow into Scandinavia from the south and east. We observe genetic structure within Scandinavia, with diversity hotspots in the south and restricted gene flow within Scandinavia. We find evidence for a major influx of Danish ancestry into England; a Swedish influx into the Baltic; and Norwegian influx into Ireland, Iceland and Greenland. Additionally, we see substantial ancestry from elsewhere in Europe entering Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Our ancient DNA analysis also revealed that a Viking expedition included close family members. By comparing with modern populations, we find that pigmentation-associated loci have undergone strong population differentiation during the past millennium, and trace positively selected loci—including the lactase-persistence allele of LCT and alleles of ANKA that are associated with the immune response—in detail. We conclude that the Viking diaspora was characterized by substantial transregional engagement: distinct populations influenced the genomic makeup of different regions of Europe, and Scandinavia experienced increased contact with the rest of the continent.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2688-8

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