An interesting open genomic question is the origin and spread of Caucasus hunter-gatherer (CHG) ancestry in steppe populations during the Eneolithic.

My broad theory regarding the appearance of this ancestral component is based on:

• The assimilation of a previous steppe population during the formation of the early Khvalynsk – Sredni Stog I cultural-historical area.
• Genetic flow from migrations, mainly a westward expansion of Suvorovo-Novodanilovka Chiefs from Khvalynsk, and potential back-migrations.
• Innner genetic flow among steppe cultures in close contact.

Two recently published papers ivestigating the Don Region may shed some light on this issue:

Plant food subsistence in … Read the rest “On the potential origin of Caucasus hunter-gatherer ancestry in Eneolithic steppe cultures”