At the crossroads of continents: ancient DNA insights into the maternal and paternal population history of Croatia

Jelena Sarac; Dubravka Havas Augustin; Natalija Novokmet; Dragan Primorac; Damir Marjanovic

doi:10.20330/AnthropKozl.2026.67s.68

Jelena Sarac Institute for Anthropological Research, Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, Rijeka, Croatia
Dubravka Havas Augustin Institute for Anthropological Research, Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Zagreb, Croatia
Natalija Novokmet Institute for Anthropological Research, Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Zagreb, Croatia
Dragan Primorac St. Catherine Specialty Hospital, Croatia; Josip Juraj Strossmayer University, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Osijek, Croatia; Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, School of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia; University of Split, Medical School, Split, Croatia; Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, PA, USA; University of New Haven, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, West Haven, CT, USA; Sana Medical School, Coburg, Germany; University of Rijeka, Medical School, Rijeka, Croatia; National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, India
Damir Marjanovic Institute for Anthropological Research, Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, Rijeka, Croatia; International Burch University, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20330/AnthropKozl.2026.67s.68

Absztrakt

Background: South-Eastern Europe, and Croatia in particular, has served as a genetic crossroads between the Near East and Europe since prehistoric times, shaped by numerous and recurrent migration events. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosomal markers are especially valuable in this context due to their uniparental inheritance and limited recombination. Their analysis in ancient genomes provides an exceptional framework for tracing migration processes and demographic changes through time.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate patterns and trends in Croatian maternal and paternal genetic landscapes from the Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Ages through Antiquity and the medieval period to the modern era.

Subjects and methods: A database comprising 304 published ancient genomes from Croatia was compiled. The ISOGG Y-DNA Haplogroup Tree 2019–2020 and mtDNA Tree Build 17 (PhyloTree) were used to determine Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial haplogroups, respectively.

Results: The Croatian mtDNA profile indicates strong continuity of major maternal lineages (H, U, T, J, and K), reflecting enduring Mesolithic ancestry and early Neolithic farming expansions, with only minor changes over time. In contrast, Y-chromosomal data show substantial paternal turnover, shifting from early farmer- and hunter-gatherer-associated haplogroups (G2a, J2b) to a more diverse historic population influenced by R1a, I1, J1a, E1b, and N1a. Compared with historic populations, modern Croatians exhibit a marked increase in I2a, now the dominant paternal lineage.

Hivatkozások

References: None.