We’re All A Bunch Of Mutts
Score one for the fact that all of us - white, black, brown, red and yellow - are all a bunch of mutts. Even the Danish. Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have debunked the theory that Danes are racially pure. After analyzing mitochondrial DNA from more than 56 skeletons found at several 1600-2000 year old Iron Age sites, here’s what happened:
The research team also found the remains of a man whose genetic characteristics indicate that he was likely of Arab origin. Because he was buried together with the others, the study — published earlier this week in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology — concludes that he was treated much the same as locals. Melchior notes that, in a separate study, a colleague of hers found a man of Siberian origin likewise buried together with locals, indicating that outsiders were absorbed by ancient Danish communities. “We found a broad array of mitochondrial DNA types just as you do in Eastern Europe,” she says. “It suggests that Denmark and Scandinavia are the product of people from all over the world.”
