Ancient DNA reveals monozygotic newborn twins from the Upper Palaeolithic

Author(s)
Maria Teschler-Nicola, Daniel Fernandes, Marc Händel, Thomas Einwögerer, Ulrich Simon, Christine Neugebauer-Maresch, Stefan Tangl, Patrick Heimel, Toni Dobsak, Anika Retzmann, Thomas Prohaska, Johanna Irrgeher, Douglas J. Kennett, Iñigo Olalde, David Reich, Ron Pinhasi
Abstract

The Upper Palaeolithic double burial of newborns and the single burial of a ca. 3-month-old infant uncovered at the Gravettian site of Krems-Wachtberg, Austria, are of paramount importance given the rarity of immature human remains from this time. Genome-wide ancient DNA shows that the male infants of the double grave are the earliest reported case of monozygotic twins, while the single graves individual was their 3rd-degree male relative. We assessed the individuals ' age at death by applying histological and mu CT inspection of the maxillary second incisors (i2) in conjunction with C- and N-isotope ratios and Barium (Ba) intake as biomarker for breastfeeding. The results show that the twins were full-term newborns, and that while individual 2 died at birth, individual 1 survived for about 50 days. The findings show that Gravettian mortuary behaviour also included re-opening of a grave and manipulation of its layout and content. Maria Teschler-Nicola et al. use ancient DNA sequencing to report the earliest known case of human monozygotic twins found in a previously discovered Upper Palaeolithic burial site. Using bioanthropological and archaeological techniques, they also find that the twins were full-term newborns and that ancient mortuary behavior included re-opening of grave sites to bury related individuals together.

Organisation(s)
Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology
External organisation(s)
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW), Medizinische Universität Wien, Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Traumatologie, Montanuniversität Leoben, University of California, Santa Barbara, Channing Division of Network Medicine
Journal
Communications Biology
Volume
3
No. of pages
11
ISSN
2399-3642
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01372-8
Publication date
11-2020
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
106002 Biochemistry, 106014 Genomics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all), Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all), Medicine (miscellaneous)
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/ancient-dna-reveals-monozygotic-newborn-twins-from-the-upper-palaeolithic(cb9edcf2-a5ca-469d-bd5b-c8021203aacc).html