Archaeogenetics reveals fine-scale genetic continuity and patterns of kinship and health in medieval Finland.

ABSTRACT: We investigated ancestry, kinship, and health in individuals from three cemeteries in Finland: Tampere Vilusenharju and Pälkäne Ristiänmäki (11th-12th centuries) and Rauniokirkko (13th-19th century). The oldest burials provide insights into Finland's medieval population, otherwise poorly known due to poor bone preservation. Using ancient genomic data, contemporary Finnish Biobank data, and identity-by-descent (IBD) analyses, we identified strong regional continuity between the medieval and modern Finnish populations and evidence for mobility within Finland and between Finland and Scandinavia. Kinship analysis identified a sibling relationship between individuals buried 30 km apart and indicated a shared genetic background for individuals from the three cemeteries. However, individuals buri

SUBMITTER: Nordfors U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12309973 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature