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The Balts and the Finns in Historical Perspective: a Multidisciplinary Approach

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ACTA MEDICA LITUANICA. 2004. VOLUME 11 No. 3. P. 814 ©8 Lietuvos mokslø akademija, 2004 Gintautas Èesnys, Vaidutis Kuèinskas © Lietuvos mokslø akademijos leidykla, 2004 The Balts and the Finns in historical perspective: a multidisciplinary approach Gintautas Èesnys1, Introduction. Ethnic history of human populations is a too complicated pheno- 2 menon to elucidate it on the basis of several gene frequencies. It is obligatory Vaidutis Kuèinskas to compile all data on molecular genetics and serology, to add new ones, to 1 Department of Anatomy, request services of paleopopulation comparisons, facts of anthropological odon- Histology and Anthropology tology, craniology, and anthropology of the modern population of the area as Faculty of Medicine, well as linguistic and archaeological information. A multidisciplinary approach to Vilnius University, elucidating historical relations between the Balts and the Finns is the goal of the present report. Materials and methods. Approx. 800 blood samples from Lithua- Vilnius, Lithuania nia were examined in order to investigate Lithuanian population according to 2 Department of Human and different genetic markers. Discrete cranial traits of 6,426 skulls from Lithuania Medical Genetics, and adjacent territories as well as 3,734 skulls belonging to the Neolithic, Bronze Faculty of Medicine, Age, 2,000 YBP and 1,000 YBP were investigated. We disposed of data on the Vilnius University, ethnic odontology of 4,993 modern Lithuanians as well as of 1446 skulls dated Vilnius, Lithuania to 2,000 YBP and 1,000 YBP. Results. Two separate clusters consisting conse- quently of four Baltic and two Finnish groups emerged in the dendrogram (Fig. 1). The mesocranial Mesolithic population in Lithuania might be related to the Middle-European kernel of mesocranes. The Middle-European orientation of the Neolithic and Bronze Age Lithuanian population is evident. The influx from the eastern part of the ancient Baltic area was detected in the 2,000 YBP po- pulation. The Lithuanian 1,000 YBP population was more homogeneous than the inhabitants of Latvia (Fig. 2). The Y chromosome haplogroups 1 and 9 show complementary clines from southeast to northwest of Europe, the Baltic peoples (Latvians and Lithuanians) demonstrating a mixture of western and eastern ge- netic traits (Fig. 3). In Northern Europe, strong geographical, linguistic and cultural barriers can be identified. Three main migration directions could have a real influence on the formation of the Lithuanian gene pool. Conclusions. Anthropological, archaeological and linguistic data demonstrate that there was no common ancestry of the Balts and the Finns. Genetic and phenetical simila- rities might occur due to gene exchange between adjacent populations on the northern and eastern borderlines of the ancient Baltic area that took place from the Mesolithic time. It is impossible to date the emergence of some genetic and anthropological similarities between the Balts and the Finns. Key words: molecular genetics, paleopopulation genetics, anthropology, the Balts, the Finns INTRODUCTION affinity of these Paleolithic people are unknown, sin- ce all archaeological evidences were destroyed by The early stages of inhabitation of the Baltic count- the melting continental glacier that covered the ries are poorly known. It is possible that the Baltic whole Northern Eurasia during the last glacial ma- area had its first inhabitants as early as 35,000 ximum ∼25,000 YBP. 40,000 years ago, at the time when Homo sapiens There are conflicting anthropological findings re- spread over Europe. The origin, language or ethnic garding the origins of Indo-Europeans and forma- tion of Baltic tribes in Eastern Baltic. The Lithua- nians and the Latvians are the only Baltic nations Correspondence to: Prof. Vaidutis Kuèinskas, Depart- that survived until today, therefore molecular gene- ment of Human and Medical Genetics of the Faculty of tic characterization of these populations may help Medicine of Vilnius University, Santariðkiø 2, LT-08661 Vil- to reconstruct the prehistory and the ethnogenesis nius-21, Lithuania. E-mail: [email protected] of people in this area. The Balts and the Finns in historical perspective: a multidisciplinary approach 9 The Finno-Ugric influence on the Balts is parti- male and 1618 female) excavated in Lithuania and cularly uncertain. In this context, the conclusion by belonging to the 1st and 2nd millennia A. D. were V. Laitinen et al. (1) that Baltic males share a com- measured, factorial analysis was made, Penroses dis- mon Finno-Ugric ancestry sounds quite categorical- tances were calculated and their matrix was clus- ly. Firstly, it was made on the basis of determina- tered (2). We dispose the data on the anthropolo- tion of only five Y-chromosomal biallelic loci. Se- gical odontology of 4993 individuals from modern condly, it is unclear which part of Lithuania the Lithuania, as well as of 1446 skulls dated to the 1st investigated persons represent. Thirdly, the question and 2nd millennia A. D. (35). Anthropological cha- arises what about other Y-chromosomal peculiari- racteristics of modern inhabitants of the Baltic area ties, what about the diversity between Baltic and were quoted after M. V. Vitov et al. (6). For inter- Finno-Ugric females. Are the materials of the au- pretation of findings, linguistic and archaeological thors enough to speculate on the ethnic history of information was used. those peoples, and is it possible to time genetic events in this special case? RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In our opinion, ethnic history of human popula- tions is a too complicated phenomenon to elucidate Multivariate phenetical comparisons were performed it on the basis of several genetic markers. It is ob- in diachronous populations on the eastern coast of ligatory to compile all data on molecular genetics the Baltic Sea and adjacent territories. There, the and serology, to add new ones, to request services material of 2,000 YBP from Lithuania, Latvia, and of paleopopulation comparisons, facts of anthropo- the people of Chernyachov culture, as well as the logical odontology, craniology, anthropology of mo- Lithuanian materials from 1,000 YBP, Latvian, East dern inhabitants in the area, as well as linguistic Slavonic, people from Balto-Slavonic borderline, Es- and archaeological information. A multidisciplinary tonia and Karelia were examined by the same aut- approach to elucidating the historical relations bet- hor. Two clusters consisting of four Baltic and two ween the Balts and the Finns is the goal of the Finnish groups emerged in the dendrogram (Fig. 1). present report. The medieval Slavonic skulls fit into the Baltic cluster, too. The clusters are close, nevertheless, they MATERIALS AND METHODS are separate. The Lithuanian skulls (2,000 YBP) are rather close to the two mentioned clusters, and tho- An investigation of Lithuanian population (more se of Chernyachov people as well as Latvians of the than 800 population samples) was made according same period stand somewhat sideways. to different genetic markers. Such markers include Unfortunately, Mesolithic materials from Lithua- blood groups (A1A2B0, Rh (C, c, D, E, e), MNS, nia are not numerous and fragmental. The men from P, Lutheran, Kell, Lewis, Secretor (FUT2), Duffy, Spiginas, Kretuonas and Duonkalnis are mesocra- Kidd (Jk), Landsteiner-Wiener, (LW) Colton (Co)); nic, some of them have the somewhat flattened up- serum proteins (TF, Gc, α -antitrypsin); mtDNA 1 RFLPs and direct sequencing of the 1st hyperva- riable segment (HVI) of the control region of Lithuania ns 600300 YBP mtDNA; the frequency and distribution of Y-chro- mosomal haplogroups and the allelic status of diffe- Slavs 1000900 YBP rent markers; recent Alu insertions (ACE, TPA25, APO, FXIIIB, A25, B65, PV92, D1, HS4.14, HS4.75, HS4.32, HS4.69, HS4.65, HS4.59, HS3.23, HS2.43), La tvia ns 600300 YBP and the frequency distribution of gene mutations in the CFTR gene for cystic fibrosis and PAH gene Estonians 600300 YBP for phenylketonuria. Ka re lia ns 200 YBP Discrete cranial traits of 6,426 skulls from Li- thuania and adjacent territories dated to the two Lithua nia ns 1500 YBP last millennia were investigated (2). The mean mea- Chernyachov Culture sures of divergence (MMD) among separate cranial 1500 YBP samples as well as among pooled diachronous eth- La tvia ns 1500 YBP nic series were calculated and their matrix was clus- tered. Multivariate analysis of craniometric traits of 0.05 0.10 0.15 Neolithic and Bronze Age series from Lithuania and MMD 70 synchronous reference groups from the Baltics Fig. 1. Divergence of peoples in East Baltic area and and adjacent territories was carried out. 3734 (2116 adjacent territories according to discrete cranial traits 10 Gintautas Èesnys, Vaidutis Kuèinskas per part of the face characteristic also of the Stone tion (4, 5). On the other hand, only one third of Age population in Sweden and Denmark, where the Latvian groups represent this type (35). Mongoloid admixture is quite dubious. The skulls Modern population of Lithuania, Latvia and Es- from Duonkalnis have a sharp horizontal profile of tonia was investigated in 19521954 by the Baltic the middle part of the face. Consequently, Meso- United Expedition, and six anthropological types lithic population of Lithuania might be related to were estimated (6). There are differences of their the Middle-European kernel of mesocranes, which distribution in the three states. In Lithuania, the was detected by V. V. Bunak as early as 1951. Middle-European
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