September 18, 2020
Everyone knows about the Vikings. They were blonde, Nordic, and characteristically brutish. Or were they? New genomic research, published in the journal Nature, has poked a few holes in that brand.
Led by Eske Willerslev, Lundbeck Foundation Professor at the University of Copenhagen, this largest-ever Viking genetics study used a HiSeq as well as NovaSeq 6000 to sequence DNA from 442 ancient bone fragments. Among other things, the team learned that these so-called Norsemen may not have been entirely Nordic.
鈥淭he Vikings had a lot more genes from southern and eastern Europe than we anticipated,鈥� said Willerslev. 鈥淭hey frequently had children with people from other parts of the world. In fact, they also tended to be dark-haired rather than blond, which is otherwise considered an established Viking trait.鈥�
The study also indicated Vikings may have been the jet-setting elite of their day, having little in common鈥攇enetically鈥攚ith the inland peasants in their native lands.
鈥淭he Vikings traveled much farther, had lots of southern European genes and were very likely part of a much more extensive cultural exchange with the rest of the world than any contemporary peasant society,鈥� said Willerslev.
In addition, the researchers showed the Vikings were not one cohesive group. Rather, they were three separate and genetically isolated nations with distinct territories. Genomic sequences showed Danish Vikings raided England, Swedish Vikings the Baltic and Norwegian Vikings visited Ireland, Iceland and Greenland. How they interacted is still a mystery, but we now know there was little genetic mingling.
The research also shed light on raiding party composition. By analyzing the bones from an Estonian gravesite, which holds remains from a slain Viking party, the scientists concluded the Viking raiders were genetically similar.
鈥淧opular culture suggests the Viking chief would recruit the strongest warriors from neighboring tribes or communities to join him on a raid somewhere,鈥� said Willerslev. 鈥淏ut at least five of the Vikings in this grave are closely related. So, perhaps you just brought your family along when you went on a raid.鈥�
The study can also help place the Vikings in better historical context, perhaps demystifying these tribes. Willerslev notes that some researchers argue the Viking Age was not distinct from the Iron Age. 鈥淲ith this new study, we鈥檙e able to establish that the Viking Age was indeed something special,鈥� he said.
Sequencing history
This study is the Willerslev lab鈥檚 latest foray into historical genomics. In 2019, with VR真人彩票 and the Lundbeck Foundation for GeoGenetics to better understand how schizophrenia, Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and other human neurological conditions originated. The team has been sequencing DNA, as old as 10,000 years, to track how brain conditions entered the human genome.
The researchers鈥� ability to glean such detailed medical and cultural information highlights both their hard work and the power of NovaSeq to interrogate ancient genomes and produce important insights.
鈥淭he sequencing is so massive with the NovaSeq that it鈥檚 no longer the limiting factor in our production line,鈥� said Willerslev. 鈥淚t鈥檚 completely changed the way we run things in the lab. It鈥檚 unbelievable in terms of output. Without the NovaSeq, I don鈥檛 think this project would have been practically feasible.鈥�
Listen to VR真人彩票鈥檚 Genomics Podcast episode 39 featuring Eske Willerslev.
