Genetic study Capturing the fusion of two ancestries and kinship structures in Merovingian Flanders

Tautalus

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Ethnic group
Portuguese (Luso-Ibero-Celtic)
Y-DNA haplogroup
I2-M223 / I-FTB15368
mtDNA haplogroup
H6a1b2y
Significance
The extent and impact of Early Medieval population movements on the establishment of trade and cultural networks across the North Sea have been the subject of debate for centuries. Analyzing ancient genomes from the Flemish coast, we find two distinct ancestry groups merging in a Late Merovingian community: the major group with a dense network of distant relationships among individuals and genetic affinity to populations around the North Sea coast and the minor group representing likely continental Gaulish ancestry of unrelated individuals from various inland sources. We also find evidence of local continuity suggesting that similarly to Britain, the Early Medieval population movements had a long-term impact and were integral to the formation of the Flemish population.

Abstract
The Merovingian period (5th to 8th cc AD) was a time of demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and political realignment in Western Europe. Here, we report the whole-genome shotgun sequence data of 30 human skeletal remains from a coastal Late Merovingian site of Koksijde (675 to 750 AD), alongside 18 remains from two Early to Late Medieval sites in present-day Flanders, Belgium. We find two distinct ancestries, one shared with Early Medieval England and the Netherlands, while the other, minor component, reflecting likely continental Gaulish ancestry. Kinship analyses identified no large pedigrees characteristic to elite burials revealing instead a high modularity of distant relationships among individuals of the main ancestry group. In contrast, individuals with >90% Gaulish ancestry had no kinship links among sampled individuals. Evidence for population structure and major differences in the extent of Gaulish ancestry in the main group, including in a mother–daughter pair, suggests ongoing admixture in the community at the time of their burial. The isotopic and genetic evidence combined supports a model by which the burials, representing an established coastal nonelite community, had incorporated migrants from inland populations. The main group of burials at Koksijde shows an abundance of >5 cM long shared allelic intervals with the High Medieval site nearby, implying long-term continuity and suggesting that similarly to Britain, the Early Medieval ancestry shifts left a significant and long-lasting impact on the genetic makeup of the Flemish population. We find substantial allele frequency differences between the two ancestry groups in pigmentation and diet-associated variants, including those linked with lactase persistence, likely reflecting ancestry change rather than local adaptation.

In PNAS it is not an open access article
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2406734121

But the pdf can be downloaded here :
https://lirias.kuleuven.be/retrieve/766284
 
Map and PCA of the samples
mVvdiN8.png


Haplogroups of the samples (from the supplementary information)
ia4Mexa.png
 
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All three E members are E-V13, of which two are brothers. That makes more than 10 % E-V13 for the whole sample.
 
In relation to the 28 males with assigned y haplogroup the distribution is 18 R1b, 7 I1 and 3 E.

ZtHdO8x.png

I1 individuals have predominant North Sea ancestry.
The only E-V13 individual with estimated ancestry has a predominant North Sea ancestry also.
Interestingly R-U106 is associated with an individual with predominant North Sea ancestry and also with individuals with predominant Gaulish ancestry.
v1Upyfk.png
 
Interesting that the Gaulish samples have both R1b-DF19 (typical Celtic) and R1b-U106. I suppose that is because they are of Belgic origin and Belgic tribes have long been presumed to be of mixed Celtic and Germanic descent.

It would be great if someone could check for deeper clades for the various Y-haplogroups. I am also looking forward to the K12b coordinates.
 
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Interesting that the Gaulish samples have both R1b-DF19 (typical Celtic) and R1b-U106. I suppose that is because they are of Belgic origin and Belgic tribes have long been presumed to be of mixed Celtic and Germanic descent.

It would be great if someone could check for deeper clades for the various Y-haplogroups. I am also looking forward to the K12b coordinates.

FTDNA did the samples as far as it goes. E.g. 2 of the 3 E being confirmed E-V13, the third is a brother of one of the confirmed, which makes 3 confirmed. But they couldn't go much more downstream. If you want to check for a specific branch, I would recommend to go into FTDNA Discovery and look out for it.
But as you can see from the E-V13 guys, the coverage is not that great for most of them.
 
This is the detailed path for the Y-HG’s already assigned in the study.
IDY-HGBranchDetailed Y-HG Path
KOS006R1b-L257R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>Z18>FGC79182>Z17>Z372>S5695>L257
KOS009R1b-S497R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>FTT8>Z381>Z156>S497 (Z306)
KOS010R1b-M269
KOS015R1b-FGC17465R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>FTT8>FGC3861>Z8053>S1855>FGC17471>FGC17465
KOS016R1b-S4268R-DF19M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>P312>DF19>DF88>FGC11833>S4281>S4268
KOS017R1b-S4268R-DF19M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>P312>DF19>DF88>FGC11833>S4281>S4268
KOS024R1b-L151
KOS026R1b-P312
KOS032R1b-ZP139R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>Z18>FGC79182>Z17>Z372>Y38140>ZP91>BY41788>ZP139 (S7015)
KOS039R1
WPK001AR1b
WPK002R1b-Y1232??
WPK005R1b-L47R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>FTT8>Z381>Z301>L48>L47
OLV021R1b
OLV072R1b
OLV051R1b
OLV055R1b
OLV056R1b
KOS002I1I1-M253
KOS007I1-Y15155I1-M253M253>DF29>Z58>Z59>CTS8647>Z61>Z60>Z140>Z141>Z2535>L338>FT456763>Y15155 (A1944)
KOS012I1I1-M253
OLV038I1I1-M253
OLV065I1I1-M253
OLV054I1I1-M253
OLV050I1I1-M253
KOS005E-Z1919E-V13M35>V68>M78>PF2179>Z1919>L618>CTS1975>V13
KOS011E-V13E-V13M35>V68>M78>PF2179>Z1919>L618>CTS1975>V13
OLV058EE-V13 ?

Place in the phylogenetic tree for the R1b-U106 individuals.

u2Iq5pe.png



The sample with 100% Gaulish (KOS009) ancestry belongs to the Z381 branch.

UmWjqtb.png
 
I downloaded the BAM files for samples KOS006 (100% North Sea Ancestry) and KOS009 (100% Gaulish Ancestry) from
https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB70768

And converted them to raw data with with WGSExtract
mUmmocv.png


I uploaded it to Gedmatch with the recommended format (combined file of all SNP’s).

The individual KOS006 has the kit number ZJ2996184.

For the individual KOS009 I received the message HTZ percentage out of range/Fails HTZ ratio test. The problem apparently is that the percentage of heterozygous alleles (different versions inherited of a genomic marker from each biological parent) is not consistent across a genome. This probably occurred because the tests carried out by the study did not adequately score a very large number of SNPs or “imputed” them with two possible values instead of omitting them from the results file.
The bam file for KOS009 had 3 GB, much smaller than the file for KOS006 that had 12 GB.

For KOS006 these are the results of Dodecad K12b
1JY1qkh.png


I found strange that the individual had such a high SSA value, but then I checked the page Genetic analysis of Early Medieval Germanic tribes and there are some individuals with similar results.

Although I was unable to test KOS009 in Gedmatch, I was able to test it with Admixture studio.
ewjg6R0.png

You can compare them with results from Iron Age Gauls here
https://www.eupedia.com/genetics/ancient_gaul.shtml#Iron_Age
 
Interesting that the Gaulish samples have both R1b-DF19 (typical Celtic) and R1b-U106. I suppose that is because they are of Belgic origin and Belgic tribes have long been presumed to be of mixed Celtic and Germanic descent.

It would be great if someone could check for deeper clades for the various Y-haplogroups. I am also looking forward to the K12b coordinates.
Are you sure they are typical Celtic? To me they seem more like typical Germanic side of Belgae if they are Belgae. While they do appear to have Gaulish autosomal ancestry, I'm not sure it's along their paternal line.
The Merovingian paper had DF19s from three different subclades of R-Z17112.
Here are the Z17112 ancients (bolded the ones from this paper):

R10657 DF19>>Z17112>Z27257/S9287 26 - 126 calCE Klosterneuburg, Austria--1st Gen Batavi Auxiliary, Roman Horse Burial

6DT23 DF19>>Z17112>S17075>FT214931/Z43034 c.250 CE Driffield Terrace, York, England 3rd Gen Batavi(?) Auxiliary, Roman Horse Burial

HID001 DF19>>Z17112>BY107827 530 CE Hiddestorf, Germany, Saxon/Frank/Thuringian?, Elite Germanic Horse burial

I20271 DF19>>Z17112 400-700 CE Girona, Pla de l'Horta, Spain Visigoth, Roman tile (Christian?) burial

RKF263 DF19>>Z17112 [per Pribislav] 530-680 CE? Rákóczifalva, Hungary, Sarmatian ally? Sarmatian-period cemetery

KOS017 DF19>>Z17112>Z27257>Z43277>Z43258>Z43261>Z43468 651-774 CE Koksijde Belgium, Saxon+Gaul, Frankish (Christian?) territory

KOS016 DF19>>Z17112>Z21380>BY42641>L719>Z30475 671-822 CE Koksijde Belgium, Saxon+Gaul, Frankish territory


I17277 DF19>>Z17112>S17075>S10067 [per FTDNA] 600-900 CE Hartlepool, Olive St, Durham, England, Saxon, probably Christian burial?
--OR-- DF19>>Z17112>Z21380>BY42641>Z41639>S18811 [per alternate analysis]

VK333 DF19>>Z17112>FT354149>Z17125>Z17123>Z29034>Z29040 885 ± 69 CE Vickleby, Öland, Sweden, Viking, Viking burial

OLV072 DF19>>Z17112>PH3649 Sint-Truiden, Belgium 1100 CE? Local Lotharingian/Frank

R-P312>DF19>DF88>FGC11833>S4281>S4268>Z17112 is about as old as the Bronze Age Collapse, but seems to have been successfully "hiding" in the cremation zone(s) for a thousand years.
Z17112 has at least 8 surviving separate descendant lines, and so far at least 6 have turned up in ancients.
 
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New(?) article with some nice pics:

The breakthrough began in 2016, when a crane operator in Koksijde unearthed bone material that led archaeologists to uncover a Late Merovingian settlement and burial ground. Dating to the second half of the 7th century through the mid-8th century, these remains offered researchers a rare opportunity to examine skeletal material from this period, as cremation had been the prevailing funerary practice in Flanders for much of the early Middle Ages.

“In Flanders, the deceased were cremated for a long time, and the skeletons from Koksijde are among the oldest after the fall of the Western Roman Empire that we can study genetically,” explains genetics professor Maarten Larmuseau, who coordinated the research alongside Professor Toomas Kivisild. “The discovery in 2016 is an absolute treasure trove of information, which we used to investigate who lived here at the time and how people lived together.”
 
Interesting that the Gaulish samples have both R1b-DF19 (typical Celtic) and R1b-U106. I suppose that is because they are of Belgic origin and Belgic tribes have long been presumed to be of mixed Celtic and Germanic descent.

It would be great if someone could check for deeper clades for the various Y-haplogroups. I am also looking forward to the K12b coordinates.
all that could confirm that the BA and early IA people of IE language were very close to the people who became Celts and maybe first Italics, being only a regional (more northeastern) founder effect of R1b-L11 > U106 - the "germanisation" of their tongues occurred only after mixing with Y-I1a (and Y-R1a? ) pop's more shifted towards Northern Europe. THos germanisation could finally have had its origin in Scandinavia.
It's very possible that in Belgia lands there was spoken long time enough less differentiated dialects than the ones which became Celtic, Italic and Germanic (look at the badly differentiated language(s?) so called "Western Block IE". (?) perhaps laready differentiated berween them, but imperfectly. ONly bets it's true. Archeology could help...
 
At the mergins, the possibly post-Belgic U106's could have kept more Celtic ancestry - The traditional physical antrhopologs had remarked that a lot of Franks were bodily closer to IA Celts than to late IA or medieval Germanics like Saxons or Scandinavians. Franks were a new grouping among Germanic tribes (like other recent ones, BTW) and they had surely accultured ancient Belgae.
 
I downloaded the BAM files for samples KOS006 (100% North Sea Ancestry) and KOS009 (100% Gaulish Ancestry) from
https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB70768

And converted them to raw data with with WGSExtract
mUmmocv.png


I uploaded it to Gedmatch with the recommended format (combined file of all SNP’s).

The individual KOS006 has the kit number ZJ2996184.

For the individual KOS009 I received the message HTZ percentage out of range/Fails HTZ ratio test. The problem apparently is that the percentage of heterozygous alleles (different versions inherited of a genomic marker from each biological parent) is not consistent across a genome. This probably occurred because the tests carried out by the study did not adequately score a very large number of SNPs or “imputed” them with two possible values instead of omitting them from the results file.
The bam file for KOS009 had 3 GB, much smaller than the file for KOS006 that had 12 GB.

For KOS006 these are the results of Dodecad K12b
1JY1qkh.png


I found strange that the individual had such a high SSA value, but then I checked the page Genetic analysis of Early Medieval Germanic tribes and there are some individuals with similar results.

Although I was unable to test KOS009 in Gedmatch, I was able to test it with Admixture studio.
ewjg6R0.png

You can compare them with results from Iron Age Gauls here
https://www.eupedia.com/genetics/ancient_gaul.shtml#Iron_Age
Do you have the txt file for KOS009?
 
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This is the detailed path for the Y-HG’s already assigned in the study.
IDY-HGBranchDetailed Y-HG Path
KOS006R1b-L257R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>Z18>FGC79182>Z17>Z372>S5695>L257
KOS009R1b-S497R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>FTT8>Z381>Z156>S497 (Z306)
KOS010R1b-M269
KOS015R1b-FGC17465R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>FTT8>FGC3861>Z8053>S1855>FGC17471>FGC17465
KOS016R1b-S4268R-DF19M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>P312>DF19>DF88>FGC11833>S4281>S4268
KOS017R1b-S4268R-DF19M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>P312>DF19>DF88>FGC11833>S4281>S4268
KOS024R1b-L151
KOS026R1b-P312
KOS032R1b-ZP139R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>Z18>FGC79182>Z17>Z372>Y38140>ZP91>BY41788>ZP139 (S7015)
KOS039R1
WPK001AR1b
WPK002R1b-Y1232??
WPK005R1b-L47R-U106M269>L23>L51>P310>L151>U106>Z2265>BY30097>FTT8>Z381>Z301>L48>L47
OLV021R1b
OLV072R1b
OLV051R1b
OLV055R1b
OLV056R1b
KOS002I1I1-M253
KOS007I1-Y15155I1-M253M253>DF29>Z58>Z59>CTS8647>Z61>Z60>Z140>Z141>Z2535>L338>FT456763>Y15155 (A1944)
KOS012I1I1-M253
OLV038I1I1-M253
OLV065I1I1-M253
OLV054I1I1-M253
OLV050I1I1-M253
KOS005E-Z1919E-V13M35>V68>M78>PF2179>Z1919>L618>CTS1975>V13
KOS011E-V13E-V13M35>V68>M78>PF2179>Z1919>L618>CTS1975>V13
OLV058EE-V13 ?

Place in the phylogenetic tree for the R1b-U106 individuals.

u2Iq5pe.png
My father is R-Z17 also, northern french
R-M269
>R-L23
>R-L51
>R-L52
>R-PF6538
>R-L151
>R-U106
>R-Z19
>R-FGC79182 (R-Z18)
>R-ZP87 (R-Z17) KOS006
>R-BY18864
>R-FT287755
>R-FT288677
>R-FTA85250
>R-Y420629 (me and my father).

Cousin of my father is also E-V13, northern french also
 
should be future paper with dna from 8th-18th century sint-truiden
338 samples

( i guess it includes also the sint-truiden samples from the paper in opening post)🤔

Processes shaping the formation of the present-day population structure in highly urbanised Northern Europe are still relatively poorly understood. Gaps remain in our understanding of when and how currently observable regional differences emerged and what impact city growth, migration and disease pandemics during and after the Middle Ages had on these processes. To address these questions, we sequenced to coverage >0.1x the genomes of 338 individuals spanning ten centuries (8-18th century) in the city of Sint-Truiden in Flanders, northern part of Belgium. We found that the Early/High Mediaeval Sint-Truiden population was more heterogeneous, having received migrants from Scotland or Ireland, and displayed less kinship ties than observed today between individuals whose grandparents were born in the same province of present-day Flanders. Over time, the city population became more homogenous and similar to the current population of the surrounding Limburg province, likely as a result of reduced long-distance migration after the High Mediaeval period, and the continuous process of local admixture of Germanic and Gaulish ancestries, which formed the genetic cline observable today in the Low Countries. We find differences in genes associated with vitamin D levels, including higher Germanic ancestry in individuals carrying red hair causing alleles on one hand, and higher Gaulish ancestry in individuals carrying at least one G allele of the rs7944926 variant associated with higher vitamin D levels in blood. Although evidence of Yersinia pestis infection was found in 7 of the 58 Late Mediaeval burials, we were unable to detect a major population-scale impact of plague pandemics on genetic diversity or on the elevated differentiation of immunity genes.


files are out:

https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB79468
 
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