Science and Technology news... :: View topic - Scientists believe 5,300-year-old mummified 'ice man' belong

Jack Linthicum · Guest

Oetzi>s branch of the haplotype K1 appears to have become extinct.

Scientists believe 5,300-year-old mummified 'ice man' belonged to
unknown branch of human family tree

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:13 PM on 30th October 2008

A 5,300-year-old mummified "ice man" unearthed in the Alps belonged to
a previously unknown branch of the human family tree, scientists have
discovered.

No trace of the lineage appears to remain today, meaning that the "ice
man" - dubbed "Oetzi" - is unlikely to have any descendants.

Oetzi>s mummified remains were found in September 1991 in the Eastern
Alps near the Austro-Italian border.

iceman

The 5,300-year-old remains of Oetzi the iceman. Scientists have failed
to trace his lineage, fearing his family may have become extinct

He was about 46 years old when he met his violent death. Examinations
revealed that he had been wounded by an arrow and possibly finished
off with a mace blow to the face.

Since 1998 he has been on display at the South Tyrol Museum of
Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy.

Scientists have now built up a complete picture of Oetzi>s
mitochondrial DNA, which is always passed down to future generations
by mothers. This is DNA in the mitochondria, tiny power plants in
cells that generate energy.

iceman

The iceman has been on display since 1998 at the South Tyrol Museum of
Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy, after being discovered in 1991

The team had a surprise when they tried to determine which genetic
branch of the human family tree Oetzi belonged to.

Although he fell into a subgroup called K1, his lineage did not match
any of the three known K1 "clusters".

Professor Martin Richards, from the University of Leeds, said:

"Our analysis confirms that Oetzi belonged to a previously
unidentified lineage of K1 that has not been seen to date in modern
European populations.

"The frequency of genetic lineages tends to change over time, due to
random variations in the number of children people have - a process
known as 'genetic drift' - and as a result, some variants die out.

"Our research suggests that Oetzi>s lineage may indeed have become
extinct."

The findings appear in the journal Current Biology.

Find this story at
www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1081865/Scientists-believe-5-300-year-old-mummified-ice-man-belonged-unknown-branch-human-family-tree.html

and

Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Current Biology, 30 October 2008

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.09.028

Report

Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of the Tyrolean Iceman

Luca Ermini1,3,4,Cristina Olivieri1,4,Ermanno Rizzi2,Giorgio
Corti2,Raoul Bonnal2,Pedro Soares3,Stefania Luciani1,Isolina
Marota1,Gianluca De Bellis2,Martin B. Richards3andFranco Rollo1,Go To
Corresponding Author,

1 Laboratorio di Archeo-Antropologia Molecolare/DNA Antico,
Dipartimento di Biologia Molecolare, Cellulare e Animale, University
of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
2 Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche, Consiglio Nazionale delle
Ricerche, 20090 Milano, Italy
3 Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Faculty of
Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK
Corresponding author

4 These two authors contributed equally to this work

Summary

The Tyrolean Iceman was a witness to the NeolithicCopper Age
transition in Central Europe 53505100 years ago, and his mummified
corpse was recovered from an Alpine glacier on the Austro-Italian
border in 1991 [[1]]. Using a mixed sequencing procedure based on PCR
amplification and 454 sequencing of pooled amplification products, we
have retrieved the first complete mitochondrial-genome sequence of a
prehistoric European. We have then compared it with 115 related extant
lineages from mitochondrial haplogroup K. We found that the Iceman
belonged to a branch of mitochondrial haplogroup K1 that has not yet
been identified in modern European populations. This is the oldest
complete Homo sapiens mtDNA genome generated to date. The results
point to the potential significance of complete-ancient-mtDNA studies
in addressing questions concerning the genetic history of human
populations that the phylogeography of modern lineages is unable to
tackle.

http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(08)01254-2

Jack Linthicum · Guest

On Oct 30, 5:24 pm, Whiskers <catwhee...@operamail.com> wrote:
[quote]On 2008-10-30, Jack Linthicum <jacklinthi...@earthlink.net> wrote:

Oetzi>s branch of the haplotype K1 appears to have become extinct.

Scientists believe 5,300-year-old mummified 'ice man' belonged to
unknown branch of human family tree

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:13 PM on 30th October 2008

A 5,300-year-old mummified "ice man" unearthed in the Alps belonged to
a previously unknown branch of the human family tree, scientists have
discovered.

No trace of the lineage appears to remain today, meaning that the "ice
man" - dubbed "Oetzi" - is unlikely to have any descendants.

[...]

Well, to be a bit blunt, getting one>s head bashed in and being left for
dead in a remote mountain pass in a snowstorm, does tend to restrict one>s
breeding opportunities ... perhaps his whole village/clan/tribe were
murdered by the same people who killed him?

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
[/quote]
Or they were just as unfortunate in their selection of occupations and
work sites.

Whiskers · Guest

On 2008-10-30, Jack Linthicum <jacklinthicum@earthlink.net> wrote:
[quote]Oetzi>s branch of the haplotype K1 appears to have become extinct.

Scientists believe 5,300-year-old mummified 'ice man' belonged to
unknown branch of human family tree

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:13 PM on 30th October 2008

A 5,300-year-old mummified "ice man" unearthed in the Alps belonged to
a previously unknown branch of the human family tree, scientists have
discovered.

No trace of the lineage appears to remain today, meaning that the "ice
man" - dubbed "Oetzi" - is unlikely to have any descendants.
[/quote]
[...]

Well, to be a bit blunt, getting one>s head bashed in and being left for
dead in a remote mountain pass in a snowstorm, does tend to restrict one>s
breeding opportunities ... perhaps his whole village/clan/tribe were
murdered by the same people who killed him?

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

David Johnson · Guest

Whiskers <catwheezel@operamail.com> wrote in
news:slrnggk9fm.clb.catwheezel@ID-107770.user.individual.net:

[quote]On 2008-10-30, Jack Linthicum <jacklinthicum@earthlink.net> wrote:
Oetzi>s branch of the haplotype K1 appears to have become extinct.

Scientists believe 5,300-year-old mummified 'ice man' belonged to
unknown branch of human family tree

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:13 PM on 30th October 2008

A 5,300-year-old mummified "ice man" unearthed in the Alps belonged
to a previously unknown branch of the human family tree, scientists
have discovered.

No trace of the lineage appears to remain today, meaning that the
"ice man" - dubbed "Oetzi" - is unlikely to have any descendants.

[...]

Well, to be a bit blunt, getting one>s head bashed in and being left
for dead in a remote mountain pass in a snowstorm, does tend to
restrict one>s breeding opportunities ... perhaps his whole
village/clan/tribe were murdered by the same people who killed him?
[/quote]
Well, if he was 47 at TOD, given the era, he>d probably already had all
the "breeding opportunities" he would have had anyway even sans impacted
head.

David

--
_______________________________________________________________________
David Johnson home.earthlink.net/~trolleyfan

People voting Republican,
Give them a boot to the head!
Ti Kwan Leep

David Johnson · Guest

David Johnson <trolleyfan_nospam@earthlink.net> wrote in
news:Xns9B47D0D1C491Ctrolleyfan@194.177.96.78:

[quote]Well, if he was 47 at TOD
[/quote]
Oops! Typo.

*46*

David

--
_______________________________________________________________________
David Johnson home.earthlink.net/~trolleyfan

People voting Republican,
Give them a boot to the head!
Ti Kwan Leep

George · Guest

On Oct 31, 2:52 pm, Matt Giwer <jul...@tampabay.REMover.rr.com> wrote:

[quote] Mitochondrial DNA is passed by women, not men.
[/quote]

And they pass it on how...
hint
It has nothing to do with nazi proclivities

Matt Giwer · Guest

Whiskers wrote:
[quote]On 2008-10-30, Jack Linthicum <jacklinthicum@earthlink.net> wrote:
Oetzi>s branch of the haplotype K1 appears to have become extinct.
Scientists believe 5,300-year-old mummified 'ice man' belonged to
unknown branch of human family tree
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:13 PM on 30th October 2008
A 5,300-year-old mummified "ice man" unearthed in the Alps belonged to
a previously unknown branch of the human family tree, scientists have
discovered.
No trace of the lineage appears to remain today, meaning that the "ice
man" - dubbed "Oetzi" - is unlikely to have any descendants.
[...]
Well, to be a bit blunt, getting one>s head bashed in and being left for
dead in a remote mountain pass in a snowstorm, does tend to restrict one>s
breeding opportunities ... perhaps his whole village/clan/tribe were
murdered by the same people who killed him?
[/quote]
Mitochondrial DNA is passed by women, not men.

--
Abraham was such a great con artist he sold his wife to kings many times
over and convinced the world god gave him Palestine.
-- The Iron Webmaster, 4063
http://www.haaretz.com What is Israel really like? http://www.jpost.com a7

Whiskers · Guest

On 2008-10-31, Matt Giwer <jull43@tampabay.REMover.rr.com> wrote:
[quote]Whiskers wrote:
On 2008-10-30, Jack Linthicum <jacklinthicum@earthlink.net> wrote:
Oetzi>s branch of the haplotype K1 appears to have become extinct.
Scientists believe 5,300-year-old mummified 'ice man' belonged to
unknown branch of human family tree
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:13 PM on 30th October 2008
A 5,300-year-old mummified "ice man" unearthed in the Alps belonged to
a previously unknown branch of the human family tree, scientists have
discovered.
No trace of the lineage appears to remain today, meaning that the "ice
man" - dubbed "Oetzi" - is unlikely to have any descendants.
[...]
Well, to be a bit blunt, getting one>s head bashed in and being left for
dead in a remote mountain pass in a snowstorm, does tend to restrict one>s
breeding opportunities ... perhaps his whole village/clan/tribe were
murdered by the same people who killed him?

Mitochondrial DNA is passed by women, not men.
[/quote]
So it seems; but that does require a little help from a chap, and both
chap and chappess are usually more or less alive at the time (and for
quite a while afterwards, in the distaff case).

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

imipak · Guest

On Oct 31, 2:08 am, Whiskers <catwhee...@operamail.com> wrote:
[quote]On 2008-10-31, Matt Giwer <jul...@tampabay.REMover.rr.com> wrote:

Whiskers wrote:
On 2008-10-30, Jack Linthicum <jacklinthi...@earthlink.net> wrote:
Oetzi>s branch of the haplotype K1 appears to have become extinct.
Scientists believe 5,300-year-old mummified 'ice man' belonged to
unknown branch of human family tree
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:13 PM on 30th October 2008
A 5,300-year-old mummified "ice man" unearthed in the Alps belonged to
a previously unknown branch of the human family tree, scientists have
discovered.
No trace of the lineage appears to remain today, meaning that the "ice
man" - dubbed "Oetzi" - is unlikely to have any descendants.
[...]
Well, to be a bit blunt, getting one>s head bashed in and being left for
dead in a remote mountain pass in a snowstorm, does tend to restrict one>s
breeding opportunities ... perhaps his whole village/clan/tribe were
murdered by the same people who killed him?

Mitochondrial DNA is passed by women, not men.

So it seems; but that does require a little help from a chap, and both
chap and chappess are usually more or less alive at the time (and for
quite a while afterwards, in the distaff case).

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
[/quote]
I>m not convinced. Politicians and Hollywood celebs don>t seem to have
any problems, but it>s far-fetched to call hellspawn and zombies
"alive" by any meaningful definition.

Jack Linthicum · Guest

On Oct 30, 2:44 pm, Jack Linthicum <jacklinthi...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

Surprising Results Of Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of 5,000-Year-Old
Mummy
02 Nov 2008

Researchers have revealed the complete mitochondrial genome of one of
the world>s most celebrated mummies, known as the Tyrolean Iceman or
Otzi. The sequence represents the oldest complete DNA sequence of
modern humans' mitochondria, according to the report published online
on October 30th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

Mitochondria are subcellular organelles that generate all of the
body>s energy and house their own DNA, which is passed down from
mother to child each generation. Mitochondrial DNA thus offers a
window into our evolutionary past.

"Through the analysis of a complete mitochondrial genome in a
particularly well-preserved human, we have obtained evidence of a
significant genetic difference between present-day Europeans and a
representative prehistoric human - despite the fact that the Iceman is
not so old - just about 5,000 years," said Franco Rollo of the
University of Camerino in Italy.

The Tyrolean Iceman witnessed the Neolithic-Copper Age transition in
Central Europe more than 5,000 years ago. His mummified corpse was
recovered from an Alpine glacier on the Austro-Italian border in 1991.
In 2000, scientists defrosted the Iceman>s body for the first time and
sampled DNA from his intestines.

Earlier study of the DNA showed that he belonged to the lineage, or
"subhaplogroup," known as K1. About 8% of modern Europeans belong to
the K haplogroup, meaning that they share a common ancestor, and that
group is divided into two "subhaplogroups," K1 and K2. The K1
haplogroup, in turn, can be divided into three clusters.

In the new study, the researchers took advantage of advanced genome-
sequencing technologies to shed more light on the Iceman>s genetics.
They sequenced his entire mitochondrial genome and compared that
sequence to other published human mitochondrial DNA sequences to
construct his evolutionary (or phylogenetic) family tree.

"The surprise came when we found that the lineage of the Iceman did
not fit any of the three known K1 clusters," Rollo said. His team has
informally named the newly discovered branch on the human family tree
"Otzi>s branch."

"This doesn>t simply mean that Otzi had some 'personal' mutations
making him different from the others but that, in the past, there was
a group - a branch of the phylogenetic tree - of men and women sharing
the same mitochondrial DNA," Rollo said. "Apparently, this genetic
group is no longer present. We don>t know whether it is extinct or it
has become extremely rare."

At least for the moment, he said, that means no one can claim to be
"the issue of Otzi."

----------------------------
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
----------------------------

The researchers include Luca Ermini, University of Camerino, Camerino,
Italy; Cristina Olivieri, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy;
Ermanno Rizzi, Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche, C.N.R., Milano,
Italy; Giorgio Corti, Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche, C.N.R.,
Milano, Italy; Raoul Bonnal, Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche,
C.N.R., Milano, Italy; Pedro Soares, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK;
Stefania Luciani, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Isolina
Marota, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Gianluca De Bellis,
Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche, C.N.R., Milano, Italy; Martin B.
Richards, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; Franco Rollo, University of
Camerino, Camerino, Italy.

Source: Cathleen Genova
Cell Press

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/127631.php


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