Authors
Ayshin Ghalichi, Madina Seidualy, Adam B Rohrlach, Lyazzat Musralina, Guido Gnecchi-Ruscone, Taylor Hermes, Elmira Khussainova, Nurzhibek Kahbatkyzy, Bakhytzhan Bekmanov, Olzhas Iksan, Nazym Altynova, Jonathan Tuke, Matthew Roughan, Baurzhan Baitanayev, Akhan Onggaruly, Gulmira Mukhtarova, Abdesh Toleubayev, Rinat Zhumatayev, Bakkeldi Rysbek, Zainolla Samashev, Arman Beisenov, Choongwon Jeong, Wolfgang Haak, Leyla Djansugurova, Johannes Krause, Ainash Childebayeva
Published in
Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 27. Pages eaef0108. Jul 03, 2026. Epub Jul 03, 2026.
Abstract
The Eurasian Steppe in the first millennium BCE saw the rise of the Scytho-Siberian archaeological horizon, which would come to stretch from the Altai Mountains in the east to the Black Sea in the west. We examined the genetic profiles of Iron Age Scythians to explore how social status shaped biological relatedness and ancestry patterns. We present genome-wide data from 85 individuals (38 elite and 47 non-elite), including 45 newly sequenced individuals and the first genome-wide data for the Scythian "Golden Man." We identify consanguineous unions, a reduced effective population size, and identity-by-descent links among the elites. Dynastic rule is supported by elite grandparent-grandchild relationships across cemeteries. While ancestries are heterogeneous, elite Iron Age Scythians show lower variation and no detectable patrilocal or matrilocal signal. These findings highlight hereditary status transmission and the emergence of social stratification in ancient nomadic societies.
PMID:
42397927
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 04 Jul 2026.
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