They analyzed the DNA of the prehistoric "Iceman." Here's what they found.

A team of scientists analyzed the DNA of 47 people living in the Tyrolean Alps between approximately 6400 and 1300 B.C. Among them were 15 individuals from the Copper Age, the same period in which Ötzi lived, murdered over 5,300 years ago in circumstances that remain unknown.

Although initial analysis suggested that Ötzi was genetically similar to the studied inhabitants of the region, more detailed studies revealed significant differences, especially in the male line.

Genetic Clues Lead to Anatolia

The study found that most of the individuals analyzed had a very high proportion of genes from Anatolian farmers—between 80 and 90 percent—and a small genetic contribution from Eurasian hunter-gatherers. Interestingly, however, almost all of the men shared a similar Y chromosome group, which was also present in people living in the prehistoric areas of present-day Germany and France.

In this context, Ötzi turned out to be quite an unusual case. His paternal line was much more widespread. This indicates that he may have come from a completely different genetic background.

A mysterious mother and an extinct line

The results regarding maternal descent proved even more mysterious. As reported on livescience.com, scientists determined that Ötzi's mitochondrial haplogroup is not present in any other prehistoric inhabitants of the Alps. Nor is it found in modern humans. According to researcher Valentina Coi from the Institute for Mummy Research in Bolzano, Italy, this may mean that the Iceman's maternal line simply died out. However, the scientist cautions that without further data from the Neolithic period in Anatolia and northern Italy, a definitive interpretation is difficult.

“Perhaps Ötzi came from a different wave of farmer migration, different from those that settled in the Alps,” she added.

Family structures and women outside the community

The study's findings also suggest that Copper Age societies may have been organized patrilineally, around male lineages. This is evidenced by the high uniformity of Y chromosomes and the simultaneous diversity of mitochondrial DNA, which may indicate that women came from outside, entering the community through marriage.

Analysis of the six best-preserved genomes also allowed predictions of physical characteristics. Ötzi and other Copper Age individuals likely had dark hair and eyes. All suffered from lactose intolerance—meaning that milk and dairy products were not well-digested by the inhabitants of these regions.

Questions about the Iceman's cultural affiliation and origins remain unanswered. Ötzi remains one of Europe's greatest archaeological phenomena—a man who, despite the passage of 5,300 years, continues to evoke emotions and intrigue scientists.

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