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Nothing really shocking, since a Scythian with R1a1 and European-like skull has already been found nearby (dated to 500BC), but interesting nonetheless. It seems like Scythians joined the ranks of the Xiongnu, and even became part of their ruling class.
Kijeong Kim et al., A western Eurasian male is found in 2000-year-old elite Xiongnu cemetery in Northeast Mongolia, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Published Online: 20 Jan 2010, doi: 10.1002/ajpa.21242
Abstract: We analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNP), and autosomal short tandem repeats (STR) of three skeletons found in a 2,000-year-old Xiongnu elite cemetery in Duurlig Nars of Northeast Mongolia. This study is one of the first reports of the detailed genetic analysis of ancient human remains using the three types of genetic markers. The DNA analyses revealed that one subject was an ancient male skeleton with maternal U2e1 and paternal R1a1 haplogroups. This is the first genetic evidence that a male of distinctive Indo-European lineages (R1a1) was present in the Xiongnu of Mongolia. This might indicate an Indo-European migration into Northeast Asia 2,000 years ago. Other specimens are a female with mtDNA haplogroup D4 and a male with Y-SNP haplogroup C3 and mtDNA haplogroup D4. Those haplogroups are common in Northeast Asia. There was no close kinship among them. The genetic evidence of U2e1 and R1a1 may help to clarify the migration patterns of Indo-Europeans and ancient East-West contacts of the Xiongnu Empire. Artifacts in the tombs suggested that the Xiongnu had a system of the social stratification. The West Eurasian male might show the racial tolerance of the Xiongnu Empire and some insight into the Xiongnu society.U2e is present in West Eurasia at 1% on average (Richard et al., 2007). The ancestral mtDNA haplogroup U2 is subdivided into U2e and U2i; U2e is known as a characteristic European haplogroup, and U2i as an indigenous haplogroup in India (Kivisild et al., 1999; Bermisheva et al., 2002; Basu et al., 2003; Quintana-Murci et al., 2004; Maji et al., 2008; Malyarchuk et al., 2008). U2e is also found in India but exclusively in caste populations, especially in the upper caste with a high frequency (Table 7) (Basu et al., 2003; Maji et al., 2008).
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The Xiongnu was once dominant in West China including the Silk Road and close to the territory of Scythians, known as Indo-European, and also dominated the southern portion of Central Siberia. It is also possible that the MNX3 West Eurasian male might be the Scythian from West Siberia or Kurgan people from Siberia northwest to the Lake Baikal.
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We showed for the first time that an Indo-European with paternal R1a1 and maternal U2e1 was present in the Xiongnu Empire of ancient Mongolia. Furthermore, the autosomal STR analysis of the sample also supported the non-East Asian origin of this individual, and he was closer to the modern Indian high caste than to other modern populations, but not greatly so. Another possibility for his origin is the Transbaikal region and the Scythian territory.
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