Ancient human genomes suggest three ancestral populations for present-day Europeans
Authors: Lazaridis Iosif , Patterson Nick , Mittnik Alissa , Renaud Gabriel , Mallick Swapan , Kirsanow Karola , Sudmant Peter H. , Schraiber Joshua G. , Castellano Sergi , Lipson Mark , Berger Bonnie , Economou Christos , Bollongino Ruth , Fu Qiaomei , Bos Kirsten I. , Nordenfelt Susanne , Li Heng , de Filippo Cesare , Prüfer Kay , Sawyer Susanna , Posth Cosimo , Haak Wolfgang , Hallgren Fredrik , Fornander Elin , Rohland Nadin , Delsate Dominique , Francken Michael , Guinet Jean-Michel , Wahl Joachim , Ayodo George , Babiker Hamza A. , Bailliet Graciela , Balanovska Elena , Balanovsky Oleg , Barrantes Ramiro , Bedoya Gabriel , Ben-Ami Haim , Bene Judit , Berrada Fouad , Bravi Claudio M. , Brisighelli Francesca , Busby George , Cali Francesco , Churnosov Mikhail , Cole David E. C. , Corach Daniel , Damba Larissa , Driem George van , Dryomov Stanislav , Dugoujon Jean-Michel , Fedorova Sardana A. , Romero Irene Gallego , Gubina Marina , Hammer Michael , Henn Brenna , Hervig Tor , Hodoglugil Ugur , Jha Aashish R. , Karachanak-Yankova Sena , Khusainova Rita , Khusnutdinova Elza , Kittles Rick , Kivisild Toomas , Klitz William , Kučinskas Vaidutis , Kushniarevich Alena , Laredj Leila , Litvinov Sergey , Loukidis Theologos , Mahley Robert W. , Melegh Béla , Metspalu Ene , Molina Julio , Mountain Joanna , Näkkäläjärvi Klemetti , Nesheva Desislava , Nyambo Thomas , Osipova Ludmila , Parik Jüri , Platonov Fedor , Posukh Olga , Romano Valentino , Rothhammer Francisco , Rudan Igor , Ruizbakiev Ruslan , Sahakyan Hovhannes , Sajantila Antti , Salas Antonio , Starikovskaya Elena B. , Tarekegn Ayele , Toncheva Draga , Turdikulova Shahlo , Uktveryte Ingrida , Utevska Olga , Vasquez René , Villena Mercedes , Voevoda Mikhail , Winkler Cheryl , Yepiskoposyan Levon , Zalloua Pierre , Zemunik Tatijana , Cooper Alan , Capelli Cristian , Thomas Mark G. , Ruiz-Linares Andres , Tishkoff Sarah A. , Singh Lalji , Thangaraj Kumarasamy , Villems Richard , Comas David , Sukernik Rem , Metspalu Mait , Meyer Matthias , Eichler Evan E. , Burger Joachim , Slatkin Montgomery , Pääbo Svante , Kelso Janet , Reich David , Krause Johannes 
Published: December 2013

We sequenced genomes from a ∼7,000 year old early farmer from Stuttgart in Germany, an ∼8,000 year old hunter-gatherer from Luxembourg, and seven ∼8,000 year old hunter-gatherers from southern Sweden. We analyzed these data together with other ancient genomes and 2,345 contemporary humans to show that the great majority of present-day Europeans derive from at least three highly differentiated populations: West European Hunter-Gatherers (WHG), who contributed ancestry to all Europeans but not to Near Easterners; Ancient North Eurasians (ANE), who were most closely related to Upper Paleolithic Siberians and contributed to both Europeans and Near Easterners; and Early European Farmers (EEF), who were mainly of Near Eastern origin but also harbored WHG-related ancestry. We model these populations’ deep relationships and show that EEF had ∼44% ancestry from a “Basal Eurasian” lineage that split prior to the diversification of all other non-African lineages.