Genomic Diversity and Admixture Differs for Stone-Age Scandinavian Foragers and Farmers

TLDR

The Neolithic transition in Europe involved a shift from hunter‑gatherer societies to farming, with genetic studies indicating that hunter‑gatherers were largely replaced by immigrant farmers. The study sequenced one Mesolithic and nine Neolithic Swedish individuals to investigate the genetic transition from hunter‑gatherers to farmers. The analysis revealed substantial genetic differentiation, with lower diversity among hunter‑gatherers and gene flow from hunter‑gatherers into farmers but not the reverse. Skoglund et al.

Abstract

Hunters and Farmers The Neolithic period in Europe saw the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to farming. Previous genetic analyses have suggested that hunter-gatherers were replaced by immigrant farmers. Skoglund et al. (p. 747 , published online 24 April) sequenced one Mesolithic and nine Neolithic Swedish individuals to examine the transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers. Substantial genetic differentiation was observed between hunter-gatherers and farmers: There was lower genetic diversity within the hunter-gatherers and gene flow from the hunter-gatherers into the farmers but not vice versa.