Oct 11, 2013 01:26 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Modern Europeans may soon learn more about their genetic history with the discovery of DNA recovered from ancient skeletons that could date back 7,000 years ago, according to a press release.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal Science, is a collaboration of the University of Adelaide's Australian Center for Ancient DNA (ACAD), the University of Mainz, the State Heritage Museum in Halle, Germany, and National Geographic Society's Genographic Project.

The researchers aimed to reconstruct the first known genetic history of modern Europeans using samples from 364 prehistoric human skeletons. The mitochondrial DNA was extracted from bone and teeth samples.

"This is the largest and most detailed genetic time series of Europe yet created, allowing us to establish a complete genetic chronology," said co-lead author Dr. Wolfgang Haak of ACAD. "Focusing on this small but highly important geographic region meant we could generate a gapless record, and directly observe genetic changes in 'real-time' from 7,500 to 3,500 years ago, from the earliest farmers to the early Bronze Age."

Co-lead author Guido Brandt, PhD candidate at the University of Mainz, said the team's research suggests a complex genetic mix that eventually lead to the modern diversity of Europe.

"Our study shows that a simple mix of indigenous hunter-gatherers and the incoming Near Eastern farmers cannot explain the modern-day diversity alone," he said. "The genetic results are much more complex than that. Instead, we found that two particular cultures at the brink of the Bronze Age 4,200 years ago had a marked role in the formation of Central Europe's genetic makeup."

Contributing to Central Europe's diversity was migration from the Eastern and Western parts of the continent around the end of the Stone Age.

"This transect through time has produced a wealth of information about the genetic history of modern Europeans," says ACAD Director Professor Alan Cooper. "There was a period of stasis after farming became established and suitable areas were settled, and then sudden turnovers during less stable times or when economic factors changed, such as the increasing importance of metal ores and secondary farming products. While the genetic signal of the first farming populations becomes increasingly diluted over time, we see the original hunter-gatherers make a surprising comeback."

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