title: 2005 Ashes series

text: England were said to be "on the brink of...victory", but Australia came back thanks to two partnerships worth more than 40 to take themselves within three runs of a 2–0 series lead. First, Warne and Lee added 45 for the ninth wicket, before Warne trod on his own stumps after a full Flintoff ball and was out hit wicket. Kasprowicz came in and supported Lee well, fending off aggressive bowling from Flintoff and Harmison, and Simon Jones dropped Kasprowicz with 15 left to get. With Australia edging towards victory, preferring singles to risky boundaries, England were now bowling aggressive short balls at the tail-enders, hoping for short catches or to surprise the batsmen with a yorker. With four runs needed to win, Lee drove Harmison's attempted yorker towards the boundary where it was fielded. The Australians crossed for a single, leaving three runs to win with the weaker batsman Kasprowicz on strike. Harmison delivered another short ball, which Kasprowicz fended and Geraint Jones took an athletic catch down the leg side. England appealed, and Kasprowicz was given out caught by Bowden. However subsequent replays suggested that the ball contacted Kasprowicz's glove while not in contact with the bat handle, rendering Bowden's decision technically incorrect. England were nonetheless declared victors – if in almost the most narrow way possible – and the series was thus level with three matches left.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: After a short engagement with his team in victory celebrations, the subsequent reaction of Flintoff to the winning dismissal was to console the despondent batsman, Lee – a gesture which was widely commented upon as indicative of the good sportsmanship and mutual respect between the teams which characterised the series.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: England's two-run victory was the narrowest win (by runs) in Ashes cricket history thus far (there had been two Ashes Tests won by a margin of only three runs). It is also the second narrowest margin of victory in Test cricket history behind only the West Indies' victory by a single run over Australia in Adelaide in 1993.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: With the series square after England's close win in the second match at Edgbaston in Birmingham, neither side could secure the series win after the third Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, so there was still all to play for. The match began with England winning the toss, and choosing to bat first, thus giving Shane Warne a chance to become the first man to take 600 Test wickets in England's first innings, and he did so by getting Marcus Trescothick out caught behind by Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist when he mistimed a sweep shot, earning Warne a standing ovation from the Old Trafford faithful.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: After naming an unchanged line-up, England were immediately faced by the pairing of Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. There were doubts about whether they could play before the match started, because of the injuries they had sustained earlier, but they both passed fitness tests. Though Andrew Strauss succumbed in the tenth over, England lost no further wickets before lunch, and only one more before tea. There were many missed opportunities for Australia, who dropped Trescothick, Michael Vaughan (twice) and Ian Bell on the first day, which helped Trescothick and Vaughan to get a partnership of 137 before Trescothick was dismissed after lunch. Vaughan powered on, making his hundred after 206 minutes to become the first man in the series to get a century.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Having made 166 runs, an innings described as "majestic", Vaughan eventually hit Simon Katich straight to McGrath at the boundary, but had still made what was to be the highest individual score in the series. Together with Vaughan, Australia were also faced with a more defiant Bell, who had not passed 25 in his four first innings in the series, but made 59 before the day ended. Picking up where Vaughan left off, Bell, Kevin Pietersen and nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard closed out the day for England with the scoreboard reading 341 for 5, with Lee adding two wickets to the tally before the end of the day.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Bell did not add to his overnight score, being given out caught behind in controversial circumstances, as replays indicated any contact with the ball involved neither bat nor glove. Following a brief rain interval England then lost two more wickets just before lunch, Andrew Flintoff after scoring a quick-fire 46 and Geraint Jones for 42. After lunch Australia quickly dispatched the remaining two wickets for just a further 10 runs, bowling England out for a score of 444, with McGrath finishing on his worst-ever Test figures of nought for 86.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Australia started their innings tentatively with Hoggard dropping a low catch from Matthew Hayden off his own bowling. Just before tea Australia lost their first wicket with Hayden out caught at short leg from Ashley Giles first over. After tea Australia lost another couple of wickets, Ricky Ponting caught for seven and Hayden given out lbw for 34. Gilchrist put on 30 before edging the first ball of Simon Jones' spell to Geraint Jones.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: This brought in Michael Clarke who had been recuperating at the team hotel after damaging his back on the first day. Owing to this injury, Clarke needed Hayden to act as a runner. Warne made inroads with the bat, just as at Edgbaston four days previously, but Clarke only managed to add seven runs before being deceived by a reverse swinging delivery from Simon Jones. Warne and Jason Gillespie saw the day out with Warne finishing on 45 not out.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The day finished with Australia on 214 for 7, 230 behind and needing another 31 runs to avoid a follow-on. The score was adjusted from 210 overnight owing to an umpire failing to signal four byes.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Rain delayed the start of play until 16:00 BST, and even then only eight overs were possible before play was again suspended, although a further six overs were bowled later on before yet more rain meant that play was abandoned for the day. Australia had the better of the short day's play, adding 50 runs without loss to pass the follow-on target, although Warne was lucky to survive on two occasions thanks to errors by Geraint Jones: with Warne on 55, Jones missed a relatively straightforward stumping opportunity, and on 68 he was dropped after edging a ball from Flintoff. Australia closed on 264 for 7, still 180 in arrears, but England probably felt that they missed several opportunities to put the game beyond their opponents.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Having been hampered by a rain-shortened day three, the Australians were ready to put more wood to the ball on day four, and they did not disappoint. Warne continued his march towards his maiden Test century before holing out with a hook shot to a well-placed Giles at 90. Simon Jones mopped up the other two wickets to bowl Australia out for 302, Jones finishing the innings with a career best figures of six for 53.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The English opening partnership of Strauss and Trescothick began their response, scoring 26 before lunch. After lunch, Trescothick played on to be bowled after scoring 41 giving McGrath his first wicket of the match. Strauss put together a fine century, his sixth from just 17 matches, scoring 106 before getting out caught. Gilchrist missed two stumping opportunities to remove Bell and failing to hold a catch to remove Flintoff. Bell capitalised on Gilchrist's errors, partnering Strauss for 28 overs and recording a well-deserved 65. Geraint Jones also added a swift 27 with England more concerned about scoring quickly than staying at the crease, and England declared on 280 to give them a spell at Australia in the evening and a chance of winning the match the next day. McGrath recorded another five-wicket haul in an innings, but was expensive, giving away 115 runs. Warne, despite bowling 25 overs, failed to take a wicket, recording figures of 0/74.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Australia needed 423 to win, which would be a record fourth innings total to win a match. Australia saw out the last 10 overs without losing a wicket and put on 24 runs, leaving 399.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: English hopes of a win were high, and 20,000 people were locked out of the stadium in addition to the 23,000 capacity crowd. Australia started the day needing 399 more runs from 98 overs if they were to claim an unlikely victory. The day started poorly for them with Justin Langer falling for 14 on the seventh ball of the day, nicking a ball delivered by Hoggard behind to Geraint Jones. Ponting narrowly survived being run out early on and this proved crucial in the context of the match as the momentum gradually swung in Australia's direction. At one point Australia racked up runs at such a rate that a win became a real possibility. Despite losing Clarke and Gillespie in quick succession to send the team to 264 for 7, Ponting battled on before eventually succumbing to Steve Harmison after seven hours at the crease to record the first Australian century of the series with a score of 156. This was good enough to earn Man of the Match honours.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: After the dismissal of Ponting, Australia were 354 for 9 with only four overs remaining, and another thrilling climax occurred with England having a real chance of snatching victory in similar fashion to the second Test. However, the unfancied pairing of Lee and McGrath handled the remaining 24 deliveries to finish on 371 for 9, 52 short of victory but sufficient to draw the game and leave the series tied at 1–1.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Glenn McGrath was once again ruled out because of injury, this time to his elbow, and Australia also dropped the out-of-form Jason Gillespie, leaving them with a seam attack of Brett Lee, debutant Shaun Tait and Michael Kasprowicz. England, having been on top in the last two Tests, were unchanged.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: England won the toss and chose to bat, and they got off to a flyer. Boosted by no-balls from the seamers – a total of 18 before lunch – Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss made hay quickly, and enjoyed batting on a pitch which gave the bowlers no aid. They recorded their second 100-run opening partnership of the series, before Strauss was freakishly dismissed for 35, sweeping Shane Warne onto his boot and into Matthew Hayden's waiting hands at slip – a wicket confirmed by the third umpire. Michael Vaughan continued on his fine form from Old Trafford, though, punishing bad balls from Lee to go into lunch with his score on 14. Trescothick, meanwhile, rode his luck, as he was bowled off a no-ball on 55, much to Lee's displeasure. At lunch England were 129 for 1.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Only 3.1 overs were possible in the afternoon session, owing to rain. Coming back after tea, England immediately lost two wickets to Tait, who used the cloud cover to good effect and swung the ball well. However, Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen batted well together for a 67-run partnership, although they were each dropped once. Towards the end of the day, Ricky Ponting brought himself on, and his medium pace yielded a wicket – that of Vaughan for 58. Overnight, the match was evenly poised with England 229 for 4.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Australia dismissed Pietersen at the beginning of the morning's play, edging a full outswinger from Lee through to wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist. But an unbeaten century partnership from Andrew Flintoff and Geraint Jones took England's score to 344 for 5 at lunch.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: After lunch, the pair continued to score quickly for another hour, and extended their partnership to 177 before Flintoff was lbw to Tait for 102, his first Test century against Australia. The loss of Flintoff did not deter the English, as Jones continued to hit runs through the off side on the way to his highest score against the Australians, making 85 before he was caught and bowled by Kasprowicz. The next two wickets fell quickly, but a stubborn last-wicket partnership of 23 between Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones – including an incident where the ball hit the stumps but the bails failed to fall off – saw England to 477 all out at tea.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: In the evening session, England's bowlers, especially Hoggard, managed to find much more swing than the Australian bowlers had done, and ripped through the Australian top order. The first three wickets fell in a crucial period of 11 balls (although the third, which dismissed Damien Martyn lbw, was a poor decision – television replays indicated that the ball hit the bat before the body). By stumps Australia had been reduced to 99 for 5 to complete an excellent day for England.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Katich and Gilchrist decided that attack was the best form of defence, adding 58 in only 8.5 overs in the morning, before England came back to take the next four wickets for the addition of only 18 runs, leaving Australia perilously placed at 175 for 9. Simon Jones was the main culprit, using swing to good effect as he removed Katich and Warne in successive balls, and then had Kasprowicz clean bowled. Lee added 47 in 44 balls, including three huge sixes, to take Australia's score to 218, before he was caught off Jones' bowling to give Jones his fifth wicket of the innings. Despite their aggressive batting, Australia therefore finished the first innings 259 runs behind.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Vaughan then gambled, by enforcing the follow-on on the visitors (the first time Australia had followed on in 17 years and 190 Tests, as they had not been made to follow on since facing Pakistan in Karachi in 1988). By lunch, Australia had reached 14 without loss in their second innings, and they powered on in the afternoon session, only losing Hayden and adding 100 more runs before tea. For England, the afternoon session was their worst of the match – to compound their misery, Simon Jones showed signs of injury, and Strauss dropped Justin Langer on 38.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: In the evening session, England managed to take three wickets, but also dropped a catch and missed a stumping. Australia thus finished the day still 37 runs in arrears but with six wickets still in hand. Simon Jones also went off the field during the evening session with an ankle injury, and was taken to hospital for an ankle scan. While Jones was off the field receiving attention, substitute fielder Gary Pratt ran out Australia captain Ponting. As he left the field, Ponting expressed his displeasure to the England dressing room at their frequent use of subs (allegedly to keep their key bowlers fresh). Although this tactic was widely felt by commentators to be against the spirit of the game, there was no legal stipulation against it. In fact, Pratt was on the field owing to a genuinely serious injury to Simon Jones, and he never played international cricket again.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Day Four began in earnest with Michael Clarke and Katich continuing their partnership from the previous day. However, Katich had already twice flirted with dismissal, saved only by chance both times. In the words of BBC cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, "It's very much a game of chess – white-flannelled figures on green grass." The English and the Australians proceeded into a cold war for a good part of the morning, with England attempting to frustrate the Australian batting, but with the latter refusing to take the bait. England's lead slowly evaporated without a wicket falling, but Hoggard's taking of Clarke's and then Gilchrist's scalps on either side of the lunch break swung the initiative back into England's hands.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The injury to Simon Jones became somewhat obvious as the pacers struggled to capture the magic that Jones had created the previous day that had forced Australia to follow on. Despite this, the Australian run rate remained low as both sides stared each other down. Mistakes by Geraint Jones and Pietersen were quickly nullified by the dismissal of Warne for 45 and Kasprowicz for 19, and after a few overs' resistance, Tait was bowled middle stump for 4, leaving 129 for the English to chase after tea.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: England then proceeded to send the game into a nailbiter; Trescothick started the chase positively, scoring 27 from 22 balls, out of 32 scored while he was at the crease. Then English wickets fell quickly as Warne took three wickets: Trescothick, Vaughan (0) and Strauss (23). Lee dismissed Ian Bell (3) and at 57 for 4 England were in trouble. Flintoff (26) and Pietersen (23) then steadied the ship with an invaluable partnership of 46 before both fell in quick succession to Lee. Despite Geraint Jones' dismissal by Warne for 3, the partnership of Ashley Giles (7 not out) and Hoggard (8 not out) guided England home. Man of the match honours went to Flintoff, but more importantly this gave the English a crucial 2–1 lead heading back to London for the fifth and final Test, ensuring that they could not lose the series. However, with the Ashes going to Australia in the event of a drawn series, there was still all to play for at The Oval.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Australia named Glenn McGrath, recovered from an elbow injury, to replace Michael Kasprowicz. England's Simon Jones did not recover from his ankle injury from the previous Test in time to be included in the England team, and was replaced after much speculation by all-rounder Paul Collingwood, in preference to specialist fast bowler James Anderson.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The final match to decide the fate of the legendary Ashes urn finally began, and the proverbial first blood was drawn by England as Michael Vaughan won his third toss of the series (much to the delight of the partisan Oval crowd). Vaughan elected to have his side bat first, and the English first innings got underway. Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss added 82 for the first wicket, as England's batsmen looked to take on the Australians, but subtle spin variations bowled from Shane Warne yielded three wickets as England went to lunch on 115 for 3.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Warne continued after lunch by taking the wicket of Kevin Pietersen for 14. Andrew Flintoff emerged to form a vital partnership of 143 with Strauss, before to falling to McGrath for 72 an hour after tea. Strauss made his second century of the series, before being dismissed by Warne off an acrobatic catch by Simon Katich. The day ended with Geraint Jones and Ashley Giles at the crease, with England 319 for 7. Certain forecasts for London called for showers sometime during the weekend, which, it was thought, might wipe up to a day of action or more from the ledger.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Day two began positively for the Australians, with Jones being bowled for 25 off Brett Lee, and Matthew Hoggard managing a meagre 2 before being dismissed by McGrath. However, Giles and Steve Harmison frustrated the Australians by taking the score past 370, before Warne trapped Giles lbw shortly before midday, leaving England all out for 373.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The Australian first innings got off to a solid start, with Justin Langer forging a 100 partnership with fellow opener Matthew Hayden – the first opening-partnership century of the series by the Australians. Langer played some blistering strokes off Giles' bowling in particular, but survived a sharp chance to Trescothick at first slip. The Australians were offered the light immediately after tea, despite the English protesting and wanting to bowl Giles. The Australians accepted it, and the light never improved, with light rain coming down later. Thus, the day concluded with Australia 112/0, 261 runs behind England.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: After a delay for wet field conditions, the third day began with a flurry of action, as both Langer and Hayden had close calls with lbw appeals, which replays suggested should have been out, and shies at the stumps that just missed. However, no batsman was given out in the morning session, where only 14 overs of play was possible, owing to rain. Australia added 45 runs in that time.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: After lunch Hayden and Langer continued their solid batting, frustrating the England bowlers, with Langer reaching his 22nd Test century. Shortly afterwards, England gained a minor victory as Harmison dismissed Langer, who departed to a rapturous ovation. Ricky Ponting should then have been dismissed for a bat-pad catch off Giles, but Bowden turned down the appeal. Hayden also achieved three-figure success later in the day – his first century for over a year, while Flintoff's hostile and accurate bowling was rewarded with the wicket of Ponting, caught at slip by Strauss. With this wicket, Flintoff equalled Ian Botham's hitherto unique achievement of 300 runs and 20 wickets in an Ashes series. Flintoff had a later appeal for a catch behind turned down by Rudi Koertzen, despite it hitting the bat.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The Australian batsmen once again ended the day early by accepting an offer of bad light, bringing a much-interrupted day to a close after only 45.4 overs. Thanks to dogged batting and at least four umpiring decisions in their favour on the third day, they finished 96 runs behind with eight wickets of their first innings intact.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The fourth day started brightly for England, Damien Martyn hooking a short ball from Flintoff straight into the hands of Collingwood, in the third over of the day, having added only one to his overnight score of nine. Further wickets fell, with an excellent knock by Hayden been brought to an end by Flintoff, who continued with impetus and trapped Katich lbw for 1, before Hoggard had Adam Gilchrist lbw with an inswinger at the stroke of lunch. Gilchrist, however, had added a quick 23 that could be vital, as Australia went into the pavilion 17 runs behind with four wickets in hand.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: However, it only took six post-lunch overs for England to end the Australian effort. Jones dropped a catch off Michael Clarke's bat, but it did not prove to be crucial, as Clarke was lbw to Hoggard in the next over. Warne and McGrath both went for ducks, caught off a mistimed hook and in the slips respectively. Finally Hoggard had Lee (6) caught in the deep and Australia were bowled out for 367. Flintoff finished with five wickets, the second five-for of his career, while Hoggard's four for 97 was his best return of the series.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Thus England, who had expected to begin their second innings chasing a hundred runs or more, were actually leading by six as they took up their bats in mid-afternoon. Australia took a very quick wicket, that of Strauss, who was dismissed again by Warne, caught bat-and-pad by Katich for a solitary run. The wicket was Warne's 167th against England, equalling Dennis Lillee's Ashes bowling record. 11 balls after this dismissal, umpires Rudi Koertzen and Billy Bowden judged it unfair to continue play, owing to inadequate light. One additional session of play was however subsequently possible, taking England to a 40-run lead without further loss, before poor light ended the day.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The fifth day began with the game still finely balanced. Ponting put his trust in his two proven wicket takers: McGrath and Warne. England batted well for 40 minutes, with Vaughan taking the game to the Australian bowlers, but McGrath produced two beautiful outswingers to dismiss him and Ian Bell (for a pair) with consecutive deliveries. The Australian charge was diminished by a couple of uncharacteristic dropped catches, but Warne and McGrath combined to take four wickets before lunch, leaving England 133 runs ahead with five wickets remaining.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: The afternoon session was anchored by Pietersen, the beneficiary of three dropped catches, who scored his maiden Test century, with obdurate support from Collingwood and Giles. The session saw only two wickets fall, Collingwood was caught acrobatically by silly mid-off Ponting for 10, and Jones (1) decisively bowled when he was deceived by a rapid Shaun Tait delivery. Pietersen was finally dismissed for 158, a superlative innings including 15 fours and 7 sixes, while Giles added 59 and Harmison was dismissed for a duck to bring Australia in to bat with fewer than 19 overs remaining.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: As the Australians began their innings, it was clear that not enough time remained for them to make up the 341 runs by which they trailed. Almost immediately they were offered the light; and having accepted it, both teams had to return to the dressing rooms to wait for a formal finish. The situation became somewhat farcical. With the match effectively over, the crowd were eager for the Ashes to be presented to England, and the celebrations to begin. After a period of some uncertainty and confusion, at 18:17 BST umpires Koertzen and Bowden removed the bails and pulled up the stumps to signal the end of the match. Australia had scored just four leg byes in their second innings, making it the only innings in Test cricket history in which every run was an extra. With no result in this fifth and final Test, England took the series 2–1, regaining the Ashes for the first time since 1987.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Pietersen, having scored his maiden Test century at a crucial point, was voted Man of the Match by Channel 4 viewers. Flintoff was chosen by Australia coach John Buchanan as England's Man of the Series while England coach Duncan Fletcher selected Warne for Australia. The new Compton–Miller Medal for the overall man of the series (as selected by each side's chairman of selectors: Trevor Hohns and David Graveney) was also presented to Flintoff. Finally, the replica urn was presented to Vaughan, thus ending the series in favour of the home side.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Immediately following the final match, Elizabeth II sent a congratulatory memo to Michael Vaughan and the team, saying: "My warmest congratulations to you, the England cricket team and all in the squad for the magnificent achievement of regaining the Ashes... both sides can take credit for giving us all such a wonderfully exciting and entertaining summer of cricket at its best."


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Political leaders like Prime Minister Tony Blair, Conservative leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy also sent their congratulations. Blair stated that "By bringing the Ashes back after so long, you have given cricket a huge boost and lit up the whole summer".


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Howard added "... Vaughan, his team, and all involved, should be proud of this achievement and the manner in which they have played during this extraordinary summer of excitement and tension."


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: "England's victory is historic, and I send hearty congratulations to the team... It has been impossible not to get caught up by the excitement and sense of good will in the past few days," stated Kennedy.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: On the other end of the ledger, Australia's Prime Minister, John Howard (who was in New York for a UN summit and was given the bad news by an aide during a luncheon with the Asia Society) was gracious in his congratulations to England.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: "Look, there's natural disappointment but it's a situation where you give credit to the team that won," Howard stated, noting that there would not be a national day of mourning. "They will no doubt celebrate and that will be difficult for some, but that's the nature of these contests and we should not take anything away from England...They played very well. It's the best team that England has had for a very long period of time."


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: On 13 September, England, along with their Women's Ashes-winning counterparts, were feted with a 90-minute bus tour from Mansion House to Trafalgar Square, where they were greeted by tens of thousands of Londoners and cricket fans in a celebration of their momentous achievements (to the surprise of Matthew Hoggard, who expected "three men and a dog").


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Thousands of people also lined the streets along the parade route as the two buses made their way to Trafalgar Square. While the rest of the team simply enjoyed the sights, 5th Test Man-of-the-Match Kevin Pietersen sprayed champagne from the bus onto joyous revelers on the street, while wicketkeeper Geraint Jones held onto a Dalek doll with the words "Australians exterminated" attached to it.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: At Trafalgar Square, the crowd was treated to a victory celebration for both England teams, and before the ceremony closed the square broke into a rendition of "Jerusalem", which had become an unofficial hymn for the team during the 5th Test. Interviews were carried out with all members of the men's team and Clare Connor, the captain of the women's team, by David Gower and Mark Nicholas, while the ceremony was broadcast live in the UK on BBC One, Channel 4 and Sky Sports News and around the world. Afterwards, the side was entertained by the Prime Minister as guests of honour at 10 Downing Street, then returned the urn to its sacred home at Lord's for safekeeping.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Almost immediately criticism began in Australia; "The Sydney Morning Herald" immediately took issue with the fact that not only was captain Ricky Ponting out-thought by his opposite number Vaughan but the side was too old and simply did not score the runs when they were needed. "The Age" of Melbourne criticised the team for opening their big mouths once too often, hitting at Australia's earlier whitewash boast. Psychological warfare, "The Age" went on to state, is great when it works but when it backfires those who are responsible ought to be brought to account.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Former fast bowler Dennis Lillee was particularly scathing. Writing in Perth's "The West Australian", he stated that all who perpetrated this "disaster" must be sacked and Shane Warne be appointed the captain in place of Ponting (because of how Warne had delivered time and again in the series). Losing to other sides is not the end of the world, stated Lillee, but losing the Ashes is.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Former captain Steve Waugh defended the side, calling it "a very good side, a really experienced side. They will be disappointed but they will move on from it" he said, but also conceding that the selectors were likely to ponder a few changes given that only three of the Australia team at The Oval were aged under 30. "They'll have a couple of players in mind which they will bring in the side over the next couple of years".


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Along with Waugh, selector and former batsman David Boon defended their selections. "Sometimes you're going to have to make a hard decision to keep a subtle rotation going through so you don't have mass retirements...But you've also got to pick the best cricket team you possibly can to represent your country", he stated. "If we keep producing cricketers who are 25 plus, they're mature, they're ready to play, they've still got a seven or eight-year career, then we're doing OK."


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Ponting was confronted by a large media pack shortly after his arrival at Sydney Airport and said he wasn't aware of Lillee's comments. "I'm not concerned about those things. As long as I am doing the right thing by everyone in my dressing room as the team and the coaching staff, well then that's all I can do... But as long as I am looking after the guys in my dressing room, then I'll be happy," Ponting stated, adding that he wished to remain captain.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Ponting also responded to Lillee's comments that Warne should be captain, and that he made more decisions than Ponting during the series: "I like to talk to a lot of guys out on the field and use their ideas and thoughts. I'll go to Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) and even Matty Hayden, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn... The way I think is not going to be right 100 percent of the time, but that's the way I do it. Warne has got a cricket brain as good as anybody around. But I wouldn't agree [he was the pseudo captain]."


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Regardless, when the Australian side for the ICC Super Series was announced, three members of the Ashes-losing side were dropped: Damien Martyn was retained only for the ODI squad, while Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz were dropped altogether. Brad Hodge, Stuart MacGill and Shane Watson were added in their places. While Cricket Australia officials assured that these omissions were not a signal that the Test careers of these three players were over, many experts said otherwise. However, all three players made successful returns to the Test team in early 2006. Lillee once again called for the replacement of Ponting as captain with Warne after the squad announcement, however this was once again rejected.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: With England's victory in the series, the top of the ICC Test Championship rankings ladder changed slightly as the English closed in on the top-ranked Aussies. In a BBC interview the week after the series, Simon Jones claimed that the English should one day be regarded as the best, despite statistics and the Test Championship rankings speaking otherwise.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: "The Ashes series was talked about so much. People were wondering if England could do it and Glenn McGrath said Australia would win 5–0, but we beat them 2–1 and could have been 3–1 up after Old Trafford," Jones told the BBC. "Australia are statistically the best side in the world, and rightly so. They've played so much great cricket over the past 10 years and built up an advantage on the points system... But I think that's changing and hopefully we will have the mantle one day."


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Meanwhile, as Pakistan and India prepared for the Ashes winners' visit in the winter, with the Pakistanis relishing the opportunity to test their mettle against the side that took down the Australians, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer stated, "England have done well but they have still to create that aura of invincibility of the West Indies of the 1970s and 80s and Australia recently. The side which does well in all three departments will win the series and we have to be very disciplined against England, who have quality batsmen and bowlers." Pakistan would later defeat England at home with a 2–0 margin.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: Following their performances in the series both Andrew Flintoff and Michael Vaughan were given the Freedom of the City in their home towns of Preston and Sheffield.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: On 29 September, the Royal Mail issued a set of stamps commemorating the Ashes victory. The set included two first-class stamps and two worth 68 pence each, the cost of posting a letter to Australia.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: In the 2006 New Year Honours, 11 of the 12 playing members of the England team were awarded the MBE, with captain Vaughan awarded the OBE, for their roles in the successful Ashes victory. There was some critical comment that the limited role of some did not warrant the honour.


title: 2005 Ashes series

text: However, after the following series in which Australia regained the Ashes in a 5–0 whitewash, the English public began to criticise the celebrations of the previous year. This issue also flared up during the Test series when Warne commented on Paul Collingwood's MBE for scoring 17 runs during the 2005 series. Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott criticised the fact that the MBE had been awarded to the whole side when Warne, who had already taken over 600 wickets by then, had not been honoured.


title: Screen Rant

text: Screen Rant is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. "Screen Rant" was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. "Screen Rant" has expanded its coverage with red-carpet events in Los Angeles, New York film festivals and San Diego Comic-Con panels. The associated YouTube channel was created on August 18, 2008, and has over 8.36 million subscribers and over 4,000 videos.


title: Screen Rant

text: In February 2015, "Screen Rant" was acquired by Valnet Inc., an online media company based in Montreal, Quebec.


title: Screen Rant

text: The channel previously hosted a video series called "Pitch Meeting" by Ryan George that debuted in 2017 until 2022, when the series received its own channel, though "Screen Rant" still owns the series. The series had produced over 200 videos by September 2020, which had garnered 250 million views.


title: Caroline Celico

text: Caroline Lyra Celico (born July 26, 1987) is a Brazilian socialite, singer and former Evangelical pastor at the Reborn in Christ Church, which she left in 2010. Celico was married to football player Kaká from 2005 to 2015.


title: Caroline Celico

text: Celico was born to Rosangela Lyra and Celso Celico in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1987. She has one younger brother, Enrico. Her parents divorced when she was six-years-old. Celico lived most of her childhood with her mother, who was the director of designers at Christian Dior S.A. She has stated she was bullied in her childhood. Celico attended St. Paul's School in São Paulo.


title: Caroline Celico

text: In 2002, while still in school, she met Kaká. They were in a relationship for two years during which Kaká was mostly away to play for A.C. Milan. During that time, Celico joined Kaká's church and later became a pastor. During a vacation to Milan, Kaká proposed to her and the couple were married on December 23, 2005, in São Paulo. Together they have two children: son Luca Celico Leite (born June 10, 2008) and daughter Isabella Celico Leite (born April 23, 2011). The couple resided in Madrid with their children while Kaká played at Real Madrid. In 2013, they moved back to Milan, Italy. The couple announced their divorce on social media in 2015.


title: Caroline Celico

text: Celico has created a non-profit organization called Horizontal Love, which provides supplies for food, hygiene, construction and education to Brazilian NGOs.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a first-person shooter psychological horror video game for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is the second game in the "F.E.A.R." series and is followed by "F.E.A.R. 3". Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Games, it was released for all platforms in February 2009. In September 2009, Monolith released a single-player DLC pack, "F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn". In March 2015, both the base game and "Reborn" were made available on GOG.com. In November 2021, the "F.E.A.R." franchise, including "Reborn", was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making the games playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. "Project Origin" ignores the events of both TimeGate Studios-developed expansion packs for the original game ("F.E.A.R. Extraction Point" and "F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate"), which are now no longer considered canon to the "F.E.A.R." universe.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: "Project Origin" begins thirty minutes prior to the conclusion of the original "F.E.A.R.", with the player controlling Michael Becket, a Delta Force sergeant. Sent to take the president of Armacham Technology Corporation (ATC) into protective custody, things go awry when Point Man destroys the Origin Facility, and Becket and his teammates are caught in the blast. Waking up in a strange hospital that is seemingly under attack by an ATC black ops squad, things become even more complicated when Alma Wade, now free from her confinements, begins to show a keen interest in Becket.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In making "Project Origin", Monolith looked at the reception of the first game, specifically what was popular and what was not. With this in mind, they set out to correct the two most frequently criticised elements of the original; monotone and repetitive environments, and lack of enemy variety. At the same time, they attempted to enhance the game's most lauded elements; the combat mechanics and enemy AI. By making Alma a more central presence than in the first game, they also hoped to enhance the horror elements of the original.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: "Project Origin" was generally well received by critics, although it was felt to be inferior to the first game. Common points of praise included the combat mechanics, sound effects, mech sections, graphics, and enemy variety, with some critics also lauding the level design and voice acting. Less enthusiastically received were the plot, cover mechanics, horror elements, some of the gameplay changes from the original (specifically the removal of the lean function), and multiplayer. Several critics also felt the game took too few risks and was little more than a generic, albeit well-made, shooter.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: "F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin" is a first-person shooter with gameplay broadly similar to the original "F.E.A.R." The player's arsenal includes a handgun, assault rifle, submachine gun, shotgun, automatic shotgun, sniper rifle, nail gun, rocket launcher, laser carbine, flamethrower, and pulse rifle. Each weapon differs in terms of accuracy, range, rate of fire, armor penetration, damage, and weight. Only four different firearms can be carried at any one time. The player also has access to four different types of projectile - frag grenades, incendiary grenades, shock grenades (electricity-based), and proximity mines. The player can carry five of each type, and can carry all four at once (allowing for up to 20 projectiles), but only one type may be equipped at any one time. Players can also "cook" grenades before throwing them; setting them off but holding onto them for a moment before tossing them. An on screen meter tells the player how much time is left before they detonate.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: A prominent gameplay element in "Project Origin" is "reflex time"; an ability which slows down the game world while still allowing the player to aim and react at normal speeds. This effect is used to simulate the player character's superhuman reflexes, and is represented by stylized visual effects, such as bullets in flight that cause air distortion or interact with the game's particle system. The duration which reflex time lasts is limited, determined by a meter which slowly fills up automatically when the ability is not being used. The player can permanently increase the size of the meter by picking up "reflex injections". Other pickups available during the game include medkits, medical injections, and protective armor (reduces the amount of damage the player takes during combat). Medical injections are automatically used as soon as they are picked up, but med kits can be stored (up to three), and used manually by the player.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: A new feature in the game is the ability to interact with the environment, such as upending a table or toppling a shelf to provide cover. Occasionally, the player will also be able to move objects blocking their path. Unlike the first game, "Project Origin" uses a limited regenerative health system. When the player's health drops below 30%, if the player can avoid taking damage for a certain amount of time, the health meter will start to refill automatically, but only up to 30%. Iron sight aiming is also new to the game (in the first game, the camera just zoomed in slightly rather than transitioning into a true iron sight perspective). The player also has access to a PDA, which contains information on current objectives, gameplay tutorials, information on the player's weaponry, and any intel the player has collected, automatically categorised into subjects.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Also new to "Project Origin" is the ability to use mechs, called Elite Power Armor (EPA) in-game. An EPA will become available during certain sections of the game, although the player is not obliged to use it, and can, if they wish, traverse the level on foot. EPAs are armed with two miniguns and two shoulder mounted rocket launchers. Ammo for each is infinite, but the miniguns overheat if fired continuously, and require a short cool-down period. Similarly, the rocket launchers require a moment to arm. EPAs also have fully regenerative health and an optional night vision display that allows the player to easily discern heat signatures.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: The game's multiplayer can support up to 16 players, and initially featured deathmatch, team deathmatch, "Control" (three control points must be captured and defended), "Armored Front" (similar to Control, but control points must be captured in a specific order, and each team also has access to an EPA), "Failsafe" (one team is tasked with planting and detonating a bomb, the other team with preventing them), and "Blitz" (a capture the flag game in which the flags are canisters of PHLAG ("PhosphoLuminescent Agent"), a substance that leaks out behind the player as they carry the canister, allowing for them to be easily tracked).


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Multiplayer mode features an experience levelling system and all game modes feature a customisable load out, with the player free to choose their weaponry, grenades, and armor. In the original release of the game, there were nine maps; six were general purpose and supported all game types except Armored Front, the other three supported only Armored Front. In September 2009, a patch added SloMo Deathmatch as an additional game mode. This game type features a reflex power-up, which only one player can carry at a time, and when it is fully charged (it charges when it is being carried) that player can activate it and give themselves a considerable speed advantage over opposing players. However, whoever is carrying the power-up will have a bluish glow and will be permanently visible on all players' mini-maps.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: The game begins thirty minutes before the end of the first game. A Delta Force unit has been deployed to take Genevieve Aristide, president of Armacham Technology Corporation (ATC) into protective custody, in light of fears that the ATC board may be planning to assassinate her so as to silence her. The hand-picked team consists of 1st Sgt. Griffin; SFC Keegan, Sgt. Jankowski (brother of the character from the first game), Sgt. Morales, Sgt. Becket (the player character), Cpl. Fox, and communications liaison 1st Lt. Stokes.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Dropped at Aristide's penthouse, the team are immediately attacked by an ATC black ops squad, and from the commencement of the mission, Becket begins to experience hallucinations involving Alma Wade. In Aristide's apartment, Becket uncovers hints of an ATC project called "Harbinger", which seems to involve himself and his teammates. Files list each team members' "Paragon Review Scores" and "telesthetic potential", with Becket's scores higher than anyone "aside from the Origin Prototypes." Moments after Becket finds Aristide, Point Man blows up the Origin facility, with the shockwave knocking Becket unconscious.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: He wakes up in a hospital which is under attack by the black ops, learning that himself, Stokes, and Griffin have all undergone "Activation" surgery, and were being prepared for "Attunement". He is then contacted by a man calling himself "Snake Fist", who says he wants to help them escape and destroy Alma. He meets with Aristide, who tells him he needs to get into the Telesthetic Attunement Chamber (TAC) if he wants to have any hope of defeating Alma. Mid-procedure, the lab is attacked and Becket witnesses several of the black ops team killed by black tentacles. He then passes out, and has a vision of Alma on a tree swing near a nuclear power plant.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Upon regaining consciousness, he finds Jankowski on an operating table. Jankowski says, "We have to help her. Can you hear? She's crying", before he dies. Shortly thereafter, Fox attacks Becket, telling him, "Stay away from her, she's mine", before Fox is killed by the black tentacles. Eventually, Becket learns the purpose of Harbinger – to turn ordinary people into psychic commanders. Becket fights his way through a squad of revived Replicas, and Snake directs him to Wade Elementary. He reunites with Griffin and Stokes, but moments later, Griffin is killed by the black tentacles. The remainder of the team head to the school in an APC, and once there, Becket uncovers evidence of "Project Paragon", which is designed to spot children with promising psychic ability. Becket himself was a student at the school and, although he has no memory of it, must have been subjected to the project.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Finding a secret Paragon facility beneath the school, Becket locates Snake; real name Terry Halford, an ATC researcher. Although he is killed by a Replica almost immediately, Halford is able to transfer files to the APC in which he explains that Aristide tricked Becket into the TAC so as to make Alma "aware" of him. He also says that Becket isn't yet strong enough to defeat Alma, and needs to amplify his psychic abilities by going to an ATC facility inside a nuclear power plant on nearby Still Island, which houses an amplification device. Still Island was also Alma's home before she was moved to the Origin facility.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: En route, the APC is ambushed by Replicas, and Keegan wanders off in a daze, searching for "her". Unable to retrieve him, Becket, Stokes, and Morales continue to the island. There, Becket finds the tree from his hallucinations, Alma's swing still hanging from its branches. He and Stokes head to the amplifier and Becket enters. Aristide arrives and explains that she plans to seal Becket and Alma inside the device, and then use Alma as leverage against ATC. This is why she tricked Becket into the TAC; she needed Alma to be aware of Becket so she could be lured to the machine. When Stokes tries to intervene, Aristide kills her.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Aristide seals the machine with Becket inside, and in a hallucinatory landscape, he fights off apparitions of a maddened Keegan. As he does, he sees flashes of Alma, who appears to be raping him in the real world. Eventually, he escapes the hallucination. The machine doors open, and Becket sees Alma standing in the midst of a post-apocalyptic landscape, the black tentacles spreading out around her. She is pregnant. She approaches Becket, placing his hand onto her stomach as a child's voice says "Mommy".


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: "Reborn" begins with Paxton Fettel speaking about his prediction of a coming war from the original game; "The war has begun just as I dreamed it would, just as I foresaw. Dreams are all I have now, dreams of death, of blood and fire. Of her. The time has come to awaken; to be...reborn."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: The game is set concurrently to "Project Origin". As Becket and his squad mates are tracking down Snake Fist at Wade Elementary, in a different part of Fairport, ATC Security has launched an attack against Replica Command Post Sigma, and additional Replicas have been called in. The game begins with the Replica designated Foxtrot 813 dropping to a location near the command post and taking control of an EPA. He fights his way through ATC forces but no sooner has his mission begun when he starts to have problems with his radio feed and video display. He eventually makes it to Sigma and tries to correct the problems with his equipment. As he ascertains that the interference is originating at the blast site of the Origin facility, he is pulled into a hallucinatory realm by Paxton Fettel, where he is attacked by corrupt Replicas. Upon killing them, Fettel tells him, "Do you see? You are different from the others. They are meaningless now. They are ghosts. You must set me free." When 813 returns to reality, he finds that he has killed his Replica teammates. Replica command then issues an order for all Replicas to shoot 813 on sight.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Guided by Fettel, 813 starts to move through the devastated city towards the blast site, fighting off Replicas throughout his journey. In an underground car park, he is attacked by Alma, but manages to escape and continue on, with Fettel continuously in his head (saying such things as "you must feel it all around you. The promise of things to come" and "they do not understand; they are blind to whom they serve").


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Eventually, 813 reaches the blast site, and proceeds deep under the rubble. As he moves, Fettel promises him that they will lead "a mighty army". As he nears Fettel's location, Alma again tries to stop him, but he again evades her. Eventually, 813 opens a door to find Fettel kneeling in the middle of a room. Fettel welcomes him, calling him "my brother". As he touches 813, Fettel melts away. 813 then removes his helmet to reveal Fettel's face, as he gloats "I am...reborn."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: The game was announced by Monolith Productions in February 2006. Monolith had been purchased by Warner Bros. Games in 2004, after development of the original "F.E.A.R" was already underway and a publishing deal had already been struck with Vivendi. By 2006, although Monolith and Warner owned the rights to the "F.E.A.R." intellectual property and characters, Vivendi (who had published the first game under their Sierra Entertainment label) still owned the name ""F.E.A.R."" As a result, any non-Vivendi game set in the "F.E.A.R." universe could use the characters and events from the original game, but could not be called "F.E.A.R." At the same time, any non-Warner game set in the "F.E.A.R." universe could not use the characters and events from the original game, but could be called "F.E.A.R." In May 2006, Vivendi announced that an expansion pack for the first game ("F.E.A.R. Extraction Point") was being developed by TimeGate Studios. The press release clarified that the plot for the expansion had been approved by Monolith and was in line with their own plans for a full sequel.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Speaking of the rights issues in August 2007, Troy Skinner (producer of the unnamed sequel) played down the significance of Monolith not being able to use the "F.E.A.R." name;


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In December 2008, a few months before the release of what was now known as "Project Origin", Monolith officially confirmed what had long been suspected; despite the initial reports that they had approved the story for both "Extraction Point" and a second expansion, "F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate", and that that story was in line with their own plans for the sequel, in fact, that sequel would ignore the events of both expansions and instead serve as a canonical follow-up to the original game. Lead artist Dave Matthews explained that the expansions


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Speaking to "CVG", he reiterated, "[TimeGate] took the story in a direction that we didn't intend. We look at "Extraction Point" and "Perseus Mandate" as an alternate universe, a 'what could have been', and because of that it doesn't necessarily diminish the story that we were trying to tell. "F.E.A.R." was about Alma, "F.E.A.R. 2" is about Alma, and we wanted to continue the story the way we originally intended."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: With the game unnamed as a result of the rights issues, in June 2007, Monolith announced a contest called "Name Your Fear" to find a new name. Open only to residents of the United States, contestants had three weeks to submit a name, after which three finalists would be chosen by Monolith, and those three finalists would be opened to a public vote. Monolith specifically asked for a name that would evoke associations with "Frenetic Action, Horror (Asian), Destruction, Apocalypse, Paramilitary, Gore." They discouraged fans from submitting acronyms, obscenities, or titles that mean something in a different language. They also released a brief plot blurb and two pieces of concept art to help inspire fans. The three finalists would be flown to Monolith's headquarters in Kirkland, Washington, and given a behind-the-scenes tour where they'd meet the game's designers and have their likenesses captured for use in the game itself.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In August, the three names were revealed as "Dead Echo", "Project Origin", and "Dark Signal". Monolith also revealed some of the more humorous examples of names they had rejected, including, "S.C.A.R.E.D.", "A.F.R.A.I.D.", "C.H.U.C.K.N.O.R.R.I.S.", "M.e.a.t.", "S.A.U.S.A.G.E.", "Little Miss Bloodshine", "Bloodbath Tycoon", "Snake FIST", "Killdozer", "Rage", "Inhumane", "Aftermath", "Shroud", "Atrox", and "Shattered". In September, the winning name was announced as "Project Origin".


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In September 2008, Monolith Productions and Warner Bros. Games re-acquired the "F.E.A.R." name from Vivendi and decided to keep ""Project Origin"" as a subtitle.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Originally, the plan for "Project Origin" was to release two completely different games - one for PC, and one for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with Monolith president Samantha Ryan stating, "in addition to continuing the series on PC, we're committed to bringing it to next-generation consoles by creating separate titles tailored to each audience instead of a one-size-fits-all approach." This plan was never realised and in December 2008, writer and co-lead designer Craig Hubbard explained that the two titles "just merged."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In relation to the console versions of the game, Monolith had been unhappy with the console ports of the original game, which had been handled by Day 1 Studios, with Matthews stating, "we feel they didn't do everything that they could of achieved." As a result of their disappointment with these ports, Monolith determined to develop all three versions of the sequel simultaneously, with no lead platform from which the others would derive. Matthews explains,


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In a July 2008 blog post on the game's community page, Matthews explained that the team had divided the first game's elements into three categories based on fan reaction; the good (combat mechanics, atmosphere, AI, graphics), the bad (too many interiors), and the ugly (a monochrome palette, lack of enemy variety, repetitive environments). With this in mind, one of Monolith's main goals with "Project Origin" was to successfully tackle the biggest criticisms of the original game - the bland and repetitive environments, and the lack of enemy variety. Co-lead designer John Mulkey explained that "variety" in a general sense was one of their main guiding principals as they strove for "more visual variety, more variety in enemies and in gameplay experiences."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Mulkey, who was lead level designer on the first game, acknowledged that although that game was claustrophobic by design, the interiors were too similar, and so, "we've decided to mix it up and to have these more open spaces." Similarly, Leo De Bruyn, lead level designer on the sequel, argued that in the first game, "we wanted to make the game have a very creepy and oppressive vibe. The color palettes reflected this, and I think we created this feeling very successfully. In retrospect, perhaps a little too successfully."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: For the sequel, Monolith wanted to have the game take place across multiple, visually differentiated, locations. Matthews stated that although the game does feature a lot of interiors, "we have taken great care to diversify the areas that you will progress through." In terms of enemy variety, the team endeavored to create not just aesthetically differentiated enemies, but "new AI types that have different tactics." Indeed, the creation of new locations and new enemies dovetailed into one another in an unexpected manner. As Mulkey explains, "as we started to change the volume of the space the combat altered, and it gave us new opportunities to approach the AI in different ways, educate them with different activities and abilities."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: At the same time as introducing such variety, however, Monolith were conscious of not straying too far from the basics of the first game. Matthews explains, "to bring too many new unique experiences to "F.E.A.R. 2" could potentially diminish the "F.E.A.R."-like quality we have tried so hard to preserve." An example of this was the game's health system. Initially, the plan was for the game to have a fully regenerative health system with no medkits. Early demos incorporated this system, but fan reaction was largely negative, with many arguing that the first game's medkit-based health system was superior. In response, the designers adopted a partial regenerative system that would restore a player's health to 30%, but they also incorporated the medkits from the first game (albeit limiting the player to three and making them much scarcer than before). After the change, they found that testers "reported that the fights felt more dynamic and less repetitive than before."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In terms of gameplay, Monolith initially experimented with a co-op mode in the main campaign but they decided against it because they felt it "watered down" the horror. Graphically, John O'Rorke (engine architect and principal software engineer), explained that an important element of the sequel was enhancing the first game's much-lauded particle system and dynamic lighting. In particular, Monolith worked to increase the amount of destructible elements within each location. The game also features numerous graphical elements not in the original, including HDR, motion blur, new lighting solutions, volumetric rendering, and ambient occlusion.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Much like the first game's atmosphere was heavily inspired by certain films, so too with the sequel. Matthews lists films such as Timur Bekmambetov's "Nightwatch" (2004) and "Daywatch" (2006), Alexandre Aja's "Haute tension" (2003), and the "Saw" franchise as especially important inspirations for the game's atmosphere. In relation to "Saw", he explained the designers were trying to capture, "that response that happens in your body when you realise you're going to have to do something horrible, or something much worse is going to happen".


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: One of the central elements of the game's atmosphere would be Alma, who had a much more involved role in the sequel than in the original. By way of this increased presence, Monolith intended to enhance the game's horror; "we've put a lot of effort and a lot of thought into the ways in which we can give Alma teeth." Hubbard also pointed out that Alma has "a stronger agenda, which gives her a more active, visceral role." Similarly, Matthews stated, "now she's out, after 16, 17 years in that vault, with her psyche still dreaming and hating, she's now completely toxic."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Speaking of the balance between combat and horror, Hubbard reminded people that "this is first and foremost an action game. There are horror elements, but it's not meant to be an unrelenting experience in terror." With this in mind, Monolith were attempting to strike a similar balance as in the first game;


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Created by DC Comics, and released on GameTrailers on October 31, 2008, the "Project Origin" "digital comic" is an animated 73-second clip depicting the aftermath of the helicopter crash from the end of the first game. As Jin-Sun Kwon regains consciousness, she realises that both Point Man and Douglas Holiday are missing. Noting a trail of bloody footprints leading away from the crash, she is startled by Bremmer, the pilot, asking what happened. However, Bremmer begins to bleed from his ears, and seconds later, his flesh melts off his body. Outside the helicopter, Jin sees Alma smiling, her eyes glowing red.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Included with a limited steel box edition of "Project Origin" available only by preordering the game from GameStop, "Armacham Field Guide" is a primer detailing much of the background mythology behind the "F.E.A.R." games. The book recounts the events of the first game, as well as expanding on Alma's and ATC's history and the creation of Projects Origin and Perseus. It also includes information on the various characters and weaponry from each game. The book is littered with handwritten notations by Genevieve Aristide, composed shortly before the second game begins, in which she speculates and muses about what ATC is doing, her role in it, and what the future may hold.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In November 2008, "Project Origin" was refused classification by the Australian Classification Board (ACB) due to its "high-impact violence". This made it illegal to sell the game, or even bring it into the country. In its official statement, the ACB said,


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Warner appealed the decision and three weeks later, the ACB's review panel revoked the ban and gave the game an MA15+ certificate without mandating any alterations or edits.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: "Project Origin" received "generally favorable reviews," with the PC and PlayStation 3 versions holding aggregate scores of 79 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 49 and forty-eight reviews, respectively. The Xbox 360 version holds a score of 77 out of 100, based on 68 reviews.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: "IGN"s Jason Ocampo scored all three versions 8.3 out of 10, praising the score, sound effects, voice acting, and plot, but criticising the ability to create cover ("feels like a gimmick, since there's no effective way of hugging that cover") and multiplayer. Although he enjoyed the game overall ("it's a good shooter, bordering on great"), he argued, "it's not as groundbreaking as its predecessor." "GameSpot"s Kevin VanOrd scored all three versions 7 out of 10. He was critical of the story, atmosphere, multiplayer, and the graphics, noting ""F.E.A.R. 2" simply doesn't match its FPS peers from a technical perspective," and citing "simple textures", "inconsistent shadows", clipping, and poor lighting. However, he praised the sound effects, level design, combat mechanics, and implementation of slow motion. He concluded, that "while fun and well-crafted, [it] seems to have lost sight of the strengths that made its predecessor so unique."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: "PC Zone"s Steve Hogarth scored the PC version 80 out of 100. He was critical of the ability to create cover and the atmosphere, but he praised the new enemies, level design, combat mechanics, and implementation of slow motion. He concluded, "the magic of the original "F.E.A.R." is buried in here somewhere [...] but "Project Origin" falls short of delivering the kick provided by the original." "CVG"s Mike Jackson scored the PC version 7.5 out of 100. He was highly critical of both the horror elements and the storyline, but he praised the "satisfying" combat mechanics, graphics, sound effects, animations, physics, implementation of slow motion, level design, and enemy variety. He concluded that although the game "dresses itself up like an edgy, scary, sinister horror of epic proportions, under the surface it's a solid FPS."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Jon Blyth of "PlayStation Official Magazine" (UK) scored the PlayStation 3 version 8 out of 10. Calling it "a pleasure to play," he praised the plot, script, voice acting, combat mechanics, and mech sections. However, he also found the game to be very traditional, writing, "innovation is not "F.E.A.R. 2"s strong suit", and finding the overall gameplay "jarringly old-skool." Anthony O'Connor of Australia's "PlayStation Official Magazine" scored the PlayStation 3 version 7 out of 10. He was critical of the plot, and level design, and found the game too easy, concluding "it's not a bad game, but it could have been so much more."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: Paul Curthoys of the "Official Xbox Magazine" (NA) scored the Xbox 360 version 7.5 out of 10. He was critical of the atmosphere, horror, and storyline, arguing, "this series has lost a bit of its magic." Although he praised the combat mechanics, level design, and mech sections, he concluded, "[it's] nowhere near as awesome as we hoped it'd be." Ben Talbot of "Official Xbox Magazine" (UK) scored the Xbox 360 version 7 out of 10. He was critical of the horror, arguing "[it has] every cliché imaginable." He praised the combat mechanics and mech sections, but concluded, "where was the ambition to innovate or surprise? It's by no means terrible, but for such a major franchise, more was expected." "Eurogamer"s Kieron Gillen scored the Xbox 360 version 5 out of 10, criticising the "woeful lack of inspiration". He praised the combat mechanics but found the game to be "a checklist of genre-tropes" and "as archetypal a corridor-shooter as has ever been made."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In a blog post a few days after the game's release, Steve Gaynor (lead level designer on "Perseus Mandate") was highly critical of "Project Origin", particularly how the level design undermines the AI and prevents it from seeming as intuitive as in the first game and its two expansions; "frequent are restrictive, linear encounter spaces without flanking corridors." He argued, "this not only makes the player's role in combat more frustrating, but makes the enemies appear less intelligent - with fewer navigational options, they tend to remain stationary more and surprise the player less."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In a 2021 retrospective on the game, "The Escapist"s Elijah Beahm, called it "Monolith's worst game." He was critical of the gameplay changes, particularly the removal of the lean function, and argued that such changes "serve to highlight why [the original] "F.E.A.R." worked so damn well." He found the horror elements to be on the level of "a cheap haunted house gag." Echoing Gaynor's criticism of the level design, he pointed out, "levels are narrower, funneling you into predictable shootouts with half the variability of the first game." He concluded, "it's as if someone created a checklist of everything great about "F.E.A.R." and actively tried to subvert or contradict every part."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In the week prior to its release, "Project Origin" was the most queued cross-platform title on GameFly. Upon its release, it debuted at #2 on the US PC charts. The following week, it dropped to #8. It went on to be the fifth best-selling PC title of February 2009. The Xbox 360 version finished at #11 in that month's all-platform charts.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: It also debuted at #2 on the UK all-platform charts. In the first week of release, the Xbox 360 version entered the top ten rental chart at #9. The following week it climbed to #6.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In April 2009, Monolith released "Toy Soldiers", a free multiplayer three-map-pack. The main selling-point of the map-pack was that the characters are transformed into tiny toy soldiers who then battle in a normal sized arena. The three maps were "Fulltilt!" (set inside a pinball machine), "Cockroach" (set in a hospital bathroom covered in blood), and "Recess" (set in a children's sandpit).


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: A second multiplayer map-pack was released in May, named "Armored Front". Containing two new maps ("Decoy" and "Conductor", both for Armored Front mode), the pack also included four new character heads for player customisation, and console-specific themes for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: A third DLC pack was released in September featuring a four-mission single-player campaign; "F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn". Associate producer Lucas Myers explains that Monolith approached "Reborn" much like the did "Project Origin" - by looking at fans' criticisms; "we listened very closely to our fans' praises and frustrations from "F.E.A.R. 2". We've varied our environments even more, opened them up and added vertical combat elements."


title: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

text: In November 2021, the "F.E.A.R." franchise, including "F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn", was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making the games playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: In archaeogenetics, the term Western Steppe Herders (WSH), or Western Steppe Pastoralists, is the name given to a distinct ancestral component first identified in individuals from the Eneolithic steppe around the turn of the 5th millennium BCE, subsequently detected in several genetically similar or directly related ancient populations including the Khvalynsk, Sredny Stog, and Yamnaya cultures, and found in substantial levels in contemporary European and South Asian populations. This ancestry is often referred to as Yamnaya Ancestry, Yamnaya-Related Ancestry, Steppe Ancestry or Steppe-Related Ancestry.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Western Steppe Herders are considered descended from Eastern Hunter-Gatherers (EHGs) who reproduced with Caucasus Hunter-Gatherers (CHGs), and the WSH component is analysed as an admixture of EHG and CHG ancestral components in roughly equal proportions, with the majority of the Y-DNA haplogroup contribution from EHG males. The Y-DNA haplogroups of Western Steppe Herder males are not uniform, with the Yamnaya culture individuals mainly belonging to R1b-Z2103 with a minority of I2a2, the earlier Khvalynsk culture also with mainly R1b but also some R1a, Q1a, J, and I2a2, and the later, high WSH ancestry Corded Ware culture individuals mainly belonging to haplogroup R1b in the earliest samples, with R1a-M417 becoming predominant over time.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Around 3,000 BC, people of the Yamnaya culture or a closely related group, who had high levels of WSH ancestry with some 10-18% Early European Farmer (EEF) admixture, embarked on a massive expansion throughout Eurasia, which is considered to be associated with the dispersal of at least some of the Indo-European languages by most contemporary linguists, archaeologists, and geneticists. WSH ancestry from this period is often referred to as Steppe Early and Middle Bronze Age (Steppe EMBA) ancestry.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: This migration is linked to the origin of both the Corded Ware culture, whose members were of about 75% WSH ancestry, and the Bell Beaker ("Eastern group"), who were around 50% WSH ancestry, though the exact relationships between these groups remains uncertain. The expansion of WSHs resulted in the virtual disappearance of the Y-DNA of Early European Farmers (EEFs) from the European gene pool, significantly altering the cultural and genetic landscape of Europe. During the Bronze Age, Corded Ware people with admixture from Central Europe remigrated onto the steppe, forming the Sintashta culture and a type of WSH ancestry often referred to as Steppe Middle and Late Bronze Age (Steppe MLBA) or Sintashta-Related ancestry. Through the Andronovo culture and Srubnaya culture, Steppe MLBA was carried into Central Asia and South Asia along with Indo-Iranian languages, leaving a long-lasting cultural and genetic legacy.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The modern population of Europe can largely be modeled as a mixture of WHG (Western Hunter-Gatherer), EEF and WSH. In Europe, WSH ancestry peaks among Norwegians (ca. 50%) according to , while in South Asia it peaks among the Kalash people (ca. 30%) according to .


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: A summary of several genetic studies published in "Nature" and "Cell" during the year 2015 is given by :


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: 'Steppe ancestry' can be classified into at least three distinctive clusters. In its simplest and earliest form, it can be modelled as an admixture of two highly divergent ancestral components; a population related to Eastern Hunter-Gatherers (EHG) from Eastern Europe, and a population related to Caucasus Hunter-Gatherers (CHG) from the Near East. This ancestry profile is known as 'Eneolithic Steppe' ancestry, or 'pre-Yamnaya ancestry', and is represented by ancient individuals from the Khvalynsk II and Progress 2 archaeological sites. These individuals are chronologically intermediate between EHGs and the later Yamnaya population, and harbour very variable proportions of CHG ancestry.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The later Yamnaya population can be modelled as an admixed EHG-related/CHG-related population with additional (c. 14%) Anatolian Farmer ancestry with some Western Hunter-Gatherer admixture, or alternatively can be modelled as a mixture of EHG, CHG, and Iranian Chalcolithic ancestries. This ancestry profile is not found in the earlier Eneolithic steppe or Steppe Maykop populations. In addition to individuals of the Yamnaya culture, very similar ancestry is also found in individuals of the closely related Afanasievo culture near the Altai Mountains and the Poltavka culture on the Middle Bronze Age steppe. This genetic component is known as Steppe Early to Middle Bronze Age (Steppe EMBA), or Yamnaya-related ancestry. The actual population sources of Yamnaya ancestry are currently unknown. A 2022 study by Lazaridis et al. proposes that the Yamnaya population may be modelled as a 'Northern' admixed EHG-related/CHG-related population who underwent a later second admixture event with a 'Southern' source from the Near East.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Expansions of Yamnaya-related populations to Eastern and Central Europe resulted in the formation of populations with admixed EMBA Steppe and Early European Farmer ancestry, such as the ancient individuals of the Corded Ware and Bell beaker cultures. In the eastern Corded Ware culture, the Fatyanovo-Balanovo group may have been the source of a back migration onto the steppe and further to the east, resulting in the formation of the Srubnaya, Sintashta, and Andronovo cultures, The genetic cluster represented by ancient individuals from these cultures is known as Steppe Middle to Late Bronze Age (Steppe MLBA) ancestry.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The precise location of the initial formation of so-called 'Eneolithic steppe' ancestry, which can be modeled as a relatively simple admixture of EHG and Near Eastern (CHG-related) populations, remains uncertain. Admixture between populations with Near Eastern ancestry and the EHG on the Pontic-Caspian steppe had begun by the fifth millennium BCE, predating the Yamnaya culture by at least 1,000 years. This early, 'pre-Yamnaya' ancestry was first detected in Eneolithic individuals at the Khvalynsk II cemetery and directly north of the Caucasus mountains at the Progress 2 archaeological site. The individuals from Khvalynsk comprise a genetically heterogeneous population intermediate between EHGs and the later Yamnaya population. On average, these individuals can be modelled as around three-quarters EHG and one-quarter Near Eastern ("Armenian related") ancestry. These three individuals belong to Y-chromosome haplogroups R1a (which is not found in later elite Yamnaya graves), R1b, and Q1a, the first two of which are found in preceding EHG populations, which suggests continuity with the preceding EHG population. Three individuals from the Progress 2 site in the North Caucasus region also harbour EHG and CHG related ancestry, and are genetically similar to Eneolithic individuals from Khvalynsk II but with higher levels of CHG-related ancestry that are comparable to the later Yamnaya population.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Archaeologist David Anthony speculates that the Khvalynsk/Progress-2 mating network, located between the middle Volga and the North Caucasus foothills, makes a "plausible genetic ancestor for Yamnaya".


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Early Yamnaya individuals, the Afanasievo population, and the individuals of the Poltavka and Catacomb cultures that followed the Yamnaya on the steppe comprise a genetically almost indistinguishable cluster, carrying predominantly R1b Y-DNA haplogroups with a minority of I2a.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: When the first Yamnaya whole genome sequences were published in 2015, Yamnaya individuals were reported to have no Anatolian Farmer ancestry, but following larger studies it is now generally agreed that Yamnaya had around 14% Anatolian Farmer ancestry, with an additional small WHG component, which was not present in the previous Eneolithic steppe individuals.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The actual populations involved in the formation of the Yamnaya cluster remain uncertain. Proposed models have included admixture of an EHG/CHG population with European Farmers to the west (such as those of the Globular Amphorae culture or a genetically similar population), and alternatively a three-way admixture of EHG, CHG, and Iran Chalcolithic populations. A 2022 study concludes that Yamnaya ancestry can be modelled as a mixture of an as yet unsampled admixed EHG/CHG population with a second source from the south Caucasus, and rejects Khvalynsk Eneolithic as a source population for the Yamnaya cluster.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: found the ancestry of the people of the Yamnaya culture to be a mix of Eastern Hunter-Gatherer and another unidentified population. All seven Yamnaya males surveyed were found to belong to subclade R-M269 of haplogroup R1b. R1b had earlier been detected among EHGs living further north.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The study found that the tested individuals of the Corded Ware culture were of approximately 75% WSH ancestry, being descended from Yamnaya or a genetically similar population who had mixed with Middle Neolithic Europeans. This suggested that the Yamnaya people or a closely related group embarked on a massive expansion ca. 3,000 BC, which probably played a role in the dispersal of at least some of the Indo-European languages in Europe. At this time, Y-DNA haplogroups common among Early European Farmers (EEFs), such as G2a, disappear almost entirely in Central Europe, and are replaced by WSH/EHG paternal haplogroups which were previously rare (R1b) or unknown (R1a) in this region. EEF mtDNA decreases significantly as well, and is replaced by WSH types, suggesting that the Yamnaya expansion was carried out by both males and females. In the aftermath of the Yamnaya expansion there appears to have been a resurgence of EEF and Western Hunter-Gatherer (WHG) ancestry in Central Europe, as this is detected in samples from the Bell Beaker culture and its successor the Unetice culture. The Bell Beaker culture had about 50% WSH ancestry.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: All modern European populations can be modeled as a mixture of WHG, EEF and WSH. WSH ancestry is more common in Northern Europe than Southern Europe. Of modern populations surveyed in the study, Norwegians were found to have the largest amount of WSH ancestry, which among them exceeded 50%.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: examined the Y-DNA of five Yamnaya males. Four belonged to types of R1b1a2, while one belonged to I2a2a1b1b. The study found that the Neolithic farmers of Central Europe had been "largely replaced" by Yamnaya people around 3,000 BC. This replacement altered not only the genetic landscape, but also the cultural landscape of Europe in many respects.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: It was discovered that the people of the contemporary Afanasievo culture of southern Siberia were "genetically indistinguishable" from the Yamnaya. People of the Corded Ware culture, the Bell Beaker culture, the Unetice culture and the Nordic Bronze Age were found to be genetically very similar to one another, but also with varying levels of affinity to Yamnaya, the highest found in Corded Ware individuals. The authors of the study suggested that the Sintashta culture of Central Asia emerged as a result of an eastward migration from Central Europe of Corded Ware people with both WSH and European Neolithic farmer ancestry.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: found that the WSHs were descended from admixture between EHGs and a previously unknown clade which the authors identify and name Caucasus hunter-gatherers (CHGs). CHGs were found to have split off from WHGs ca. 43,000 BC, and to have split off from EEFs ca. 23,000 BC. It was estimated that Yamnaya "owe half of their ancestry to CHG-linked sources."


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: , "Genome-wide patterns of selection in 230 ancient Eurasians", published in "Nature" in November 2015 found that the people of the Poltavka culture, Potapovka culture and Srubnaya culture were closely related and largely of WSH descent, although the Srubnaya carried more EEF ancestry (about 17%) than the rest. Like in Yamnaya, males of Poltavka mostly carried types of R1b, while Srubnaya males carried types of R1a.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: A genetic study published in "Nature" in July 2016 found that WSHs were a mixture of EHGs and "a population related to people of the Iran Chalcolithic". EHGs were modeled as being of 75% Ancient North Eurasian (ANE) descent. A significant presence of WSH ancestry among populations of South Asia was detected. Here WSH ancestry peaked at 50% among the Kalash people, which is a level similar to modern populations of Northern Europe.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: examined the genetic origins of the Mycenaeans and the Minoans. Although they were found to be genetically similar to Minoans, the Mycenaeans were found to harbor about 15% WSH ancestry, which was not present in Minoans. It was found that Mycenaeans could be modelled as a mixture of WSH and Minoan ancestry. The study asserts that there are two key questions remaining to be addressed by future studies. First, when did the common "eastern" ancestry of both Minoans and Mycenaeans arrive in the Aegean? Second, is the "northern" ancestry in Mycenaeans due to sporadic infiltration of Greece, or the result of a rapid migration as in Central Europe? Such a migration would support the idea that proto-Greek speakers formed the southern wing of a steppe intrusion of Indo-European speakers. Yet, the absence of "northern" ancestry in the Bronze Age samples from Pisidia, where Indo-European languages were attested in antiquity, casts doubt on this genetic-linguistic association, with further sampling of ancient Anatolian speakers needed.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Olalde et al. (2018) examined the entry of WSH ancestry into the British Isles. WSH ancestry was found to have been carried into the British Isles by the Bell Beaker culture in the second half of the 3rd millennium BC. The migrations of Bell Beakers were accompanied with "a replacement of ~90% of Britain's gene pool within a few hundred years". The gene pool in the British Isles had previously been dominated by EEFs with slight WHG admixture.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Y-DNA in parts of the modern British Isles belongs almost entirely to R1b-M269, a WSH lineage, which is thought to have been brought to the isles with Bell Beakers.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: A genetic study published in "Nature" in February 2018 noted that the modern population of Europe can largely be modeled as a mixture between EHG, WHG, WSH and EEF.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The study examined individuals from the Globular Amphora culture, who bordered the Yamnaya. Globular Amphora culture people were found to have no WSH ancestry, suggesting that cultural differences and genetic differences were connected.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Notably, WSH ancestry was detected among two individuals buried in modern-day Bulgaria ca. 4,500 BC. This showed that WSH ancestry appeared outside of the steppe 2,000 years earlier than previously believed.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: found that Yamnaya-related migrations had a lower direct and long-lasting impact in East and South Asia than in Europe. Crucially, the Botai culture of Late Neolithic Central Asia was found to have no WSH ancestry, suggesting that they belonged to an ANE-derived population deeply diverged from the WSHs.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: A genetic study published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America" in November 2018 examined the presence of WSH ancestry in the Mongolian Plateau. A number of remains from Late Bronze Age individuals buried around Lake Baikal were studied. These individuals had only 7% WSH ancestry, suggesting that pastoralism was adopted on the Eastern Steppe through cultural transmission rather than genetic displacement.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The study found that WSH ancestry found among Late Bronze Age populations of the south Siberia such as the Karasuk culture was transmitted through the Andronovo culture rather than the earlier Afanasievo culture, whose genetic legacy in the region by this time was virtually non-existent.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: A genetic study published in "Nature Communications" in February 2019 compared the genetic origins of the Yamnaya culture and the Maikop culture. It found that most of the EEF ancestry found among the Yamnaya culture was derived from the Globular Amphora culture and the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture of Eastern Europe. Total EEF ancestry among the Yamnaya has been estimated at 10-18%. Given the high amount of EEF ancestry in the Maikop culture, this makes it impossible for the Maikop culture to have been a major source of CHG ancestry among the WSHs. Admixture from the CHGs into the WSHs must thus have happened at an earlier date.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Olalde et al. (2019) analyzed the process by which WSH ancestry entered the Iberian Peninsula. The earliest evidence of WSH ancestry there was found from an individual living in Iberia in 2,200 BC in close proximity with native populations. By 2,000 BC, the native Y-DNA of Iberia (H, G2 and I2) had been almost entirely replaced with a single WSH lineage, R-M269. mtDNA in Iberia at this time was however still mostly of native origin, affirming that the entry of WSH ancestry in Iberia was primarily male-driven.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: , "The Genomic Formation of South and Central Asia", published in "Science" in September 2019, found a large amount of WSH ancestry among Indo-European-speaking populations throughout Eurasia. This lent support to the theory that the Yamnaya people were Indo-European-speaking.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The study found people of the Corded Ware, Srubnaya, Sintashta and Andronovo cultures to be a closely related group almost wholly of WSH ancestry, but with slight European Middle Neolithic admixture. These results further underpinned the notion that the Sintashta culture emerged as an eastward migration of Corded Ware peoples with mostly WSH ancestry back into the steppe. Among early WSHs, R1b is the most common Y-DNA lineage, while R1a (particularly R1a1a1b2) is common among later groups of Central Asia, such as Andronovo and Srubnaya.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: West Siberian Hunter-Gatherers (WSGs), a distinct archaeogenetic lineage, was discovered in the study. These were found to be of about 30% EHG ancestry, 50% ANE ancestry, and 20% East Asian ancestry. It was noticed that WSHs during their expansion towards the east gained a slight (ca. 8%) admixture from WSGs.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: It was found that there was a significant infusion of WSH ancestry into Central Asia and South Asia during the Bronze Age. WSH ancestry was found to have been almost completely absent from earlier samples in southern Central Asia in the 3rd millennium BC.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: During the expansion of WSHs from Central Asia towards South Asia in the Bronze Age, an increase in South Asian agriculturalist ancestry among WSHs was noticed. Among South Asian populations, WSH ancestry is particularly high among Brahmins and Bhumihars. WSH ancestry was thus expected to have spread into India with the Vedic culture.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: , "Ancient Rome: A genetic crossroads of Europe and the Mediterranean", published in "Science" in November 2019 examined the remains of six Latin males buried near Rome between 900 BC and 200 BC. They carried the paternal haplogroups R-M269, T-L208, R-311, R-PF7589 and R-P312 (two samples), and the maternal haplogroups H1aj1a, T2c1f, H2a, U4a1a, H11a and H10. A female from the preceding Proto-Villanovan culture carried the maternal haplogroups U5a2b. These examined individuals were distinguished from preceding populations of Italy by the presence of ca. 30-40% steppe ancestry. Genetic differences between the examined Latins and the Etruscans were found to be insignificant.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: , "The Arrival of Steppe and Iranian Related Ancestry in the Islands of the Western Mediterranean", found that a skeleton excavated from the Balearic islands (dating to ∼2400 BCE) had substantial WSH ancestry; however, later Balearic individuals had less Steppe heritage reflecting geographic heterogeneity or immigration from groups with more European first farmer-related ancestry. In Sicily, WSH ancestry arrived by ∼2200 BCE and likely came at least in part from Spain. 4 of the 5 Early Bronze Age Sicilian males had Steppe-associated Y-haplogroup R1b1a1a2a1a2 (R-P312). Two of these were Y-haplogroup R1b1a1a2a1a2a1 (Z195) which today is largely restricted to Iberia and has been hypothesized to have originated there 2500-2000 BCE. In Sardinia, no convincing evidence of WSH ancestry in the Bronze Age has been found, but the authors detect it by ∼200-700 CE.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The American archaeologist David W. Anthony (2019) summarized the recent genetic data on WSHs. Anthony notes that WSHs display genetic continuity between the paternal lineages of the Dnieper-Donets culture and the Yamnaya culture, as the males of both cultures have been found to have been mostly carriers of R1b, and to a lesser extent I2.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: While the mtDNA of the Dnieper-Donets people is exclusively types of U, which is associated with EHGs and WHGs, the mtDNA of the Yamnaya also includes types frequent among CHGs and EEFs. Anthony notes that WSH had earlier been found among the Sredny Stog culture and the Khvalynsk culture, who preceded the Yamnaya culture on the Pontic–Caspian steppe. The Sredny Stog were mostly WSH with slight EEF admixture, while the Khvalynsk living further east were purely WSH. Anthony also notes that unlike their Khvalynsk predecessors, the Y-DNA of the Yamnaya is exclusively EHG and WHG. This implies that the leading clans of the Yamnaya were of EHG and WHG origin. Because the slight EEF ancestry of the WSHs has been found to be derived from Central Europe, and because there is no CHG Y-DNA detected among the Yamnaya, Anthony notes that it is impossible for the Maikop culture to have contributed much to the culture or CHG ancestry of the WSHs. Anthony suggests that admixture between EHGs and CHGs first occurred on the eastern Pontic-Caspian steppe around 5,000 BC, while admixture with EEFs happened in the southern parts of the Pontic-Caspian steppe sometime later.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: As Yamnaya Y-DNA is exclusively of the EHG and WHG type, Anthony notes that the admixture must have occurred between EHG and WHG males, and CHG and EEF females. Anthony cites this as additional evidence that the Indo-European languages were initially spoken among EHGs living in Eastern Europe. On this basis, Anthony concludes that the Indo-European languages which the WSHs brought with them were initially the result of "a dominant language spoken by EHGs that absorbed Caucasus-like elements in phonology, morphology, and lexicon" (spoken by CHGs).


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: During the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Age, the Early European Farmer (EEF) cultures of Europe were overwhelmed by successive invasions of WSHs. These invasions led to EEF paternal DNA lineages in Europe being almost entirely replaced with EHG/WSH paternal DNA (mainly R1b and R1a). EEF mtDNA however remained frequent, suggesting admixture between WSH males and EEF females.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: Western Steppe Herders are believed to have been light-skinned. Early Bronze Age Steppe populations such as the Yamnaya are believed to have had mostly brown eyes and dark hair, while the people of the Corded Ware culture had a higher proportion of blue eyes.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: The rs12821256 allele of the KITLG gene that controls melanocyte development and melanin synthesis, which is associated with blond hair and first found in an individual from central Asia dated to around 15,000 BC, is found in three Eastern Hunter-Gatherers from Samara, Motala and Ukraine, and several later individuals with WSH ancestry. Geneticist David Reich concludes that the massive migration of Western Steppe Herders probably brought this mutation to Europe, explaining why there are hundreds of millions of copies of this SNP in modern Europeans. In 2020, a study suggested that ancestry from Western Steppe Pastoralists was responsible for lightening the skin and hair color of modern Europeans, having a dominant effect on the phenotype of Northern Europeans, in particular.


title: Western Steppe Herders

text: A study in 2015 found that Yamnaya had the highest ever calculated genetic selection for height of any of the ancient populations tested.