Genetic Structure of the Early Hungarian Conquerors Inferred from MtDNA Haplotypes and Y-chromosome Haplogroups in a Small Cemetery

Overview

Journal Mol Genet Genomics

Specialty Genetics

Date 2016 Nov 3

PMID 27803981

Citations 15

Authors

Endre Neparaczki

Zoltan Juhasz

Horolma Pamjav

Tibor Feher

Bernadett Csanyi

Albert Zink

Frank Maixner

Gyorgy Palfi

Erika Molnar

Ildiko Pap

Agnes Kustar

Laszlo Revesz

Istvan Rasko

Tibor Torok

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We applied ancient DNA methods to shed light on the origin of ancient Hungarians and their relation to modern populations. Hungarians moved into the Carpathian Basin from the Eurasian Pontic steppes in the year 895 AD as a confederation of seven tribes, but their further origin remains obscure. Here, we present 17 mtDNA haplotypes and four Y-chromosome haplogroups, which portray the genetic composition of an entire small cemetery of the first generation Hungarians. Using novel algorithms to compare these mitochondrial DNA haplogroups with other ancient and modern Eurasian data, we revealed that a significant portion of the Hungarians probably originated from a long ago consolidated gene pool in Central Asia-South Siberia, which still persists in modern Hungarians. Another genetic layer of the early Hungarians was obtained during their westward migrations by admixing with various populations of European origin, and an important component of these was derived from the Caucasus region. Most of the modern populations, which are genetically closest relatives of ancient Hungarians, today speak non-Indo-European languages. Our results contribute to our understanding of the peopling of Europe by providing ancient DNA data from a still genetically poorly studied period of medieval human migrations.

Citing Articles

Phylogenetic insights into the genetic legacies of Hungarian-speaking communities in the Carpathian Basin.

Borbely N, Dudas D, Tapaszto A, Dudas-Boda E, Csaky V, Szeifert B Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):11480.

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The paternal genetic legacy of Hungarian-speaking Rétköz (Hungary) and Váh valley (Slovakia) populations.

Pamjav H, Fothi A, Dudas D, Tapaszto A, Krizsik V, Fothi E Front Genet. 2022; 13:977517.

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Tracing genetic connections of ancient Hungarians to the 6th-14th century populations of the Volga-Ural region.

Szeifert B, Gerber D, Csaky V, Lango P, Stashenkov D, Khokhlov A Hum Mol Genet. 2022; 31(19):3266-3280.

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Genome-wide autosomal, mtDNA, and Y chromosome analysis of King Bela III of the Hungarian Arpad dynasty.

Wang C, Posth C, Furtwangler A, Sumegi K, Banfai Z, Kasler M Sci Rep. 2021; 11(1):19210.

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Maternal Lineages from 10-11th Century Commoner Cemeteries of the Carpathian Basin.

Maar K, Varga G, Kovacs B, Schutz O, Maroti Z, Kalmar T Genes (Basel). 2021; 12(3).

PMID: 33807111 PMC: 8005002. DOI: 10.3390/genes12030460.

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