Scythian Blood and the Genetic Link Between Eastern and Western Europeans
The idea that Scythian blood separates Eastern Europeans from Western Europeans is widely discussed among geneticists and historical scholars. However, recent research has brought new insights to this longstanding debate.
Scythian and Sarmatian Ancestry in Eastern Europe
The belief that present-day Eastern Europeans have significant Scythian or Sarmatian ancestry is, in most cases, not supported by genetic evidence. While Scythians and Sarmatians had close ancestral connections to many European populations, including those in Western Europe, through the shared ancestry in the Pontic-Caspian Steppe, modern Eastern Europeans seem to have very little of that direct Scythian or Sarmatian heritage. This connection is mainly rooted in earlier Bronze Age populations like the Yamnaya Culture and the Corded Ware Culture, where the dominant male haplogroup was R1b-M269 and R1a-M417 respectively.
By the mid to late 1st millennium B.C., Scythians and Sarmatians incorporated some East Asian ancestry into their West Eurasian origins. Nevertheless, this East Asian admixture is not notably prevalent among today's Eastern Europeans. The main descendants of the ancient Scytho-Sarmatians are primarily the Turkic-speaking minorities of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Genetic Clusters and European Diversity
Genetic studies have shown that there are two fairly homogeneous genetic clusters that distinguish Western and Eastern Europeans, although they are not as clearly separated as one might think.
The genetic cline (continuum of variation) across Europe generally runs from north to south, or more specifically, northeast to southwest. This is illustrated clearly in PCA (Principal Component Analysis) plots that compare the average genetic makeup of various European and West Asian populations. Notably, many Central-Eastern Europeans are actually closer to Northwestern Europeans than to many Southwestern Europeans. Conversely, some Southwestern Europeans are closer to some Southeastern Europeans than to Central-Eastern Europeans, including most Northeastern Europeans.
The Genetic Background of Eastern Europeans
While both Western and Eastern Europeans share the same "bricks" of ancestral admixtures, the proportions and combinations vary. Additionally, thousands of years of genetic drift have also contributed to the differences observed.
The main difference between many Eastern Europeans and Western Europeans today is the presence of a relatively important amount of Mesolithic European ancestry, often referred to as WHG (Western Hunter-Gatherers) and EHG (Eastern Hunter-Gatherers), in Eastern Europeans. This ancestry is more associated with the expansions of Slavic and Uralic speakers from Northeastern Europe to other parts of Eastern Europe.
Implications for Genetic Studies and Historical Research
Understanding the true genetic makeup of Eastern and Western Europeans is crucial for both genetic studies and historical research. It highlights the complexity of human migration and genetic admixture over thousands of years. The findings challenge the simplistic notion of Eastern Europeans sharing a distinct genetic heritage with Scythian or Sarmatian ancestors, instead pointing to the shared, albeit diverse, ancestry with Western Europeans through the broader framework of the Bronze Age steppe peoples.
Further research and analysis can provide more nuanced insights into the genetic diversity within and between different European populations, enriching our understanding of their complex history and ancestry.