DNA study cracks centuries-old mystery over origin of languages spoken by half the world
These language families, including Germanic, Indo-Iranian and Celtic, evolved from a common tongue called the Proto-Indo-European, whose origin has been a mystery.
In the new study, researchers at Vienna University analysed DNA samples of 435 people from archaeological sites across Eurasia dating to between 6400BC and 2000BC and found that a newly recognised ancient population inhabiting the steppe grasslands of the Caucasus and the Lower Volga was connected to all modern populations speaking Indo-European languages.
The ancient population, now called CLV, lived between 4500BC and 3500BC, according to the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
Previous studies have shown that the Yamnaya culture which thrived in the Pontic- Caspian steppes north of the Black and Caspian Seas expanded into Europe and Central Asia beginning about 3100BC.
Their migration accounted for the appearance of "steppe ancestry" in populations across Eurasia between 3100BC and 1500BC, having the largest effect on European human genomes of any demographic event in the last 5,000 years.
The movement of the Yamnaya people in this direction is widely regarded as the chief vector for the spread of Indo-European languages. However, one group of Indo-European languages – the Anatolian – does not exhibit any steppe ancestry.
Anatolian languages, including Hittite, are the oldest branch of the Indo-European tongues to split away, uniquely preserving some of the linguistic archaisms lost in all other branches.
This group of languages descended from a people that had not been adequately described before, researchers found.
The new study traced this language group to an ancient population that lived in the steppes between the North Caucasus mountains and the Lower Volga between 4500BC and 3500BC.
The DNA analysis revealed that the Yamnaya people derived about 80 per cent of their ancestry from the population group, which was also linked to a tenth of the ancestry of Bronze Age central Anatolian speakers of Hittite.
"The CLV group therefore can be connected to all Indo-European-speaking populations and is the best candidate for the population that spoke Indo-Anatolian, the ancestor of both Hittite and all later Indo-European languages," Ron Pinhasi, a study co-author from Vienna University, said.
The study also found that the integration of the Proto-Indo-Anatolian language – shared by Anatolian and Indo-European peoples – reached its height among the CLV communities between 4400BC and 4000BC.
"The discovery of the CLV population as the missing link in the Indo-European story marks a turning point in the 200-years-old quest to reconstruct the origins of the Indo-Europeans and the routes by which these people spread across Europe and parts of Asia," Dr Pinhasi said.
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By collecting skulls from around the world, the society explored theories surrounding phrenology, the long discredited science that claimed to read intellect and moral character from the contours of the skull. Their research, however, also became a vehicle for racial classification. Nineteenth century phrenologists believed the contours of the skull were linked to mental traits and characteristics (Image: Spurzheim, J. G. (1825) Public Domain/Wellcome Collection) To carry out their studies and comparisons, the society required a regular stream of skulls. They showed particular zeal for those they believed might support their theories – people of mixed heritage, such as the brothers, held particular interest. The society's collection is part of the anatomical museum's holdings, which includes approximately 1,500 skulls housed in its so-called 'Skull Room'. 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With only executed murderers' corpses legally eligible for dissection, 'resurrectionists' or 'body-snatchers' roamed morgues and graveyards to supply a thriving black market. It adds: 'The crania of these two students were procured in the wake of nationwide graverobbing scandals, including the notorious Burke and Hare murders in Edinburgh in 1828. 'It is possible, of course, that the 'resurrection men' or 'body-snatchers' who supplied anatomists in Edinburgh with cadavers were called upon to acquire these students' crania.' Read more by Sandra Dick: The research adds: 'Given phrenologists' preoccupations with identifying racial differences through cranial analysis, it can be assumed that the racialisation of these two individuals as 'Mulatto' – a racial category that both fascinated and bewildered phrenologists – is what sparked an interest in their skulls. 'The individual(s) who stole the students' skulls and 'gifted' or sold them to the Phrenological Society were possibly driven by such motivations.' There remain gaps in records and confusing documents which mean the full story of the Richards brothers might never be told. "All we know is that some person or persons – fellow students, medical professionals, members of the Phrenological Society or grave-robbers acting on their behalf – were aware of the deaths of these two so-called 'Mulatto' students and perceived their skulls to be a valuable phrenological resource," the study adds. 'It is important to also reflect on the worlds in which racially minoritised students in the past lived and studied, including the racially motivated harms and indignities many will have faced in life and, as the story of these students' skulls would appear to indicate, in death.' A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: "We take our duty of care very seriously and all remains in our collections are looked after with the upmost dignity and respect. "We have teams of experts responsible for ensuring our historically significant archives are preserved, as well as being accessible for non-invasive research projects and outreach initiatives that help to enhance our understanding of the world. "We are committed to learning lessons from our past, including addressing our colonial legacy and its contemporary impact. "We work with many communities around the world to engage with our collections and facilitate the return of remains and artefacts." Further details on University of Edinburgh repatriations can be found here
