A new preprint by Olalde et al. (2025), "Long-term hunter-gatherer continuity in the Rhine-Meuse region was disrupted by local formation of expansive Bell Beaker groups," has just been released. It offers important new insight into early R-L151 dynamics—including a key early sample of R-U106.
Big Picture:
- The paper reframes the Rhine–Meuse region (modern Netherlands, Belgium, and western Germany) as a key formation zone for populations later associated with the Bell Beaker cultural package—not just a transit corridor.
- These groups formed locally via admixture between Corded Ware–derived individuals and indigenous Neolithic groups, the latter retaining unusually high Western Hunter-Gatherer ancestry (~50%).
- This admixed population—while expressing Bell Beaker material culture—became the main vector for expansion into Britain and beyond, contributing both R-P312 and Steppe-derived autosomal ancestry.
Why This Matters for R-U106:
One individual from Mienakker (I12902), dated to 2852–2574 BCE, is especially relevant:
- Associated with Corded Ware material culture, but with only ~11% Steppe ancestry.
- Y-haplogroup: R-U106—the earliest R-U106 sample known in the Rhine-Meuse, and among the earliest in Western Europe.
- Burial context lacks classic CW features—suggesting local integration, not large-scale migration.
This sample supports the idea that R-U106's westward movement began earlier and more diffusely, likely through low-level male-mediated gene flow into a transitional zone like the Rhine-Meuse wetlands.
Key Takeaways:
- Bell Beaker material culture, Steppe ancestry, and R1b lineages didn’t always move together.
- R-U106 may have entered the region before the Bell Beaker formation event, and persisted through local fusion processes.
- The Rhine–Meuse may be a critical piece in reconstructing R-U106's early history in Western Europe.
Link to the preprint:
—痴颈苍肠别
