Ancient DNA, Strontium isotopes, and osteological analyses shed light on social and kinship organization of the Later Stone Age.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 105(47): 18226-31, 2008 Nov 25.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19015520
ABSTRACT
In 2005 four outstanding multiple burials were discovered near Eulau, Germany. The 4,600-year-old graves contained groups of adults and children buried facing each other. Skeletal and artifactual evidence and the simultaneous interment of the individuals suggest the supposed families fell victim to a violent event. In a multidisciplinary approach, archaeological, anthropological, geochemical (radiogenic isotopes), and molecular genetic (ancient DNA) methods were applied to these unique burials. Using autosomal, mitochondrial, and Y-chromosomal markers, we identified genetic kinship among the individuals. A direct child-parent relationship was detected in one burial, providing the oldest molecular genetic evidence of a nuclear family. Strontium isotope analyses point to different origins for males and children versus females. By this approach, we gain insight into a Late Stone Age society, which appears to have been exogamous and patrilocal, and in which genetic kinship seems to be a focal point of social organization.
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Conducta Social
/
Isótopos de Estroncio
/
Huesos
/
ADN
/
Fósiles
/
Antropología
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Adult
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Child
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Humans
País como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Año:
2008
Tipo del documento:
Article