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European languages


- The most important cause of European genetic variation corresponds to the migration of Neolithic farmers from the area of origin of agriculture in the Middle East.

- The next most important component of genetic variation is apparently associated with a north-south gradient possibly due to adaptation to cold climates but also to the differentiation of the Uralic and the Indo-European language-speaking people.

- The third component is highly correlated with the infiltration of the Yamna ("Kurgan") people, nomadic pastoralists who domesticated the horse and who have been claimed to have spread Indo-European languages to Europe.

References

- Piazza A, Rendine S, Minch E, Menozzi P, Mountain J, Cavalli-Sforza LL. Genetics and the origin of European languages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1995 Jun 20;92(13):5836-40. PMID: 7597038