Reconstruction of the Mitochondrial Genome of the Ancient Horse from the Ashna-Pando Hillfort (Middle Volga)

Abstract

Reconstruction of the mitochondrial genome of a horse from the Ashna-Pando hillfort (the Sura River basin, Middle Volga, Ulyanovsk oblast, Russia) was performed using bone remains. It was established that, according to a fragment of the control region (D-loop), the specimen belongs to the B1 haplotype widespread among modern as well as ancient horses of Europe and Asia. However, in accordance with complete mitochondrial genome analysis, the horse is attributed to the M haplogroup that includes different modern breeds, with the Akhal-Teke breed among them. The obtained data make it possible to postulate the steppe origin of the horse. On the basis of our analysis, penetration of the southern horses deep into the broadleaf forest area likely dates to the second or third quarter of the first millennium BC and is probably connected with interactions of the sedentary population of the Sura River region with Scythian nomads.