I’ve mentioned the preprint Ancient human genomes suggest three ancestral populations for present-day Europeans several times, but I thought that I would highlight that there has been a substantial revision as of April 5th. One section I think points to possible future results, and where we are now. The authors conclude (before the methods): Three questions seem particularly important to address in follow-up work. Where did the EEF obtain their WHG ancestry? Southeastern Europe is a candidate as it lies along the path from Anatolia into central Europe. When and where the ancestors of present-day Europeans first acquire their ANE ancestry? Based on discontinuity in mtDNA haplogroup frequencies, this may have occurred ~5,500-4,000 years ago in Central Europe. When and where did Basal Eurasians mix into the ancestors of the EEF? An important aim for future work should be to collect DNA from additional ancient samples to illuminate these transformations As is clear from their results to a first approximation to be genetically European entails ~20 on the order of 10 percent ANE ancestry. If the admixture in most of Europe dates to 5,500 to 4,000 years ago, then it is possible that the basic historical framework which serves as the backdrop for the Epic of Gilgamesh was contemporaneous with the emergence of populations which we would recognize as European! I am rather doubtful as to the power of ancient myths rooted in the Bronze Age to give us deep insights about prehistory, mostly because the myths themselves are often sprawling enough that they can be “fit” to a host of diverse scenarios. But, it does suggest that it is possible that Greek myths which date back to the Bronze Age may actually be somewhat informative, even if by chance, of the origins of the peoples and places of antiquity.
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