Language trees with sampled ancestors support a hybrid model for the origin of Indo-European languages

Heggarty P.; Anderson C.; Scarborough M.; King B.; Bouckaert R.; Jocz L.; Kümmel M.J.; Jügel T.; Irslinger B.; Pooth R.; Liljegren H.; Strand R.F.; Haig G.; MacÀk M.; Kim R.I.; Anonby E.; Pronk T.; Belyaev O.; Dewey-Findell T.K.; Boutilier M.; Freiberg C.; Tegethoff R.; Serangeli M.; Liosis N.; Stroński K.; Schulte K.; Gupta G.K.; Haak W.; Krause J.; Atkinson Q.D.; Greenhill S.J.; Kühnert D.; Gray R.D. · Science (2023) · DOI: 10.1126/science.abg0818

Resumen

The origins of the Indo-European language family are hotly disputed. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of core vocabulary have produced conflicting results, with some supporting a farming expansion out of Anatolia ~9000 years before present (yr B.P.), while others support a spread with horse-based pastoralism out of the Pontic-Caspian Steppe ~6000 yr B.P. Here we present an extensive database of Indo-European core vocabulary that eliminates past inconsistencies in cognate coding. Ancestry-enabled phylogenetic analysis of this dataset indicates that few ancient languages are direct ancestors of modern clades and produces a root age of ~8120 yr B.P. for the family. Although this date is not consistent with the Steppe hypothesis, it does not rule out an initial homeland south of the Caucasus, with a subsequent branch northward onto the steppe and then across Europe. We reconcile this hybrid hypothesis with recently published ancient DNA evidence from the steppe and the northern Fertile Crescent.

Instituciones: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú