The nuclear genome of Otzi the iceman is finally published

A team of international scientist (belonging to 19 institutions!) has published the complete genome sequence of Ötzi, the Tyrolean Iceman, in Nature Communications.

Ötzi’s 5,300 year old body has been discovered in 1991 in the Alps bordering Italy and Austria.

"The Iceman probably had brown eyes, belonged to blood group O and was lactose intolerant. His genetic predisposition shows an increased risk for coronary heart disease and may have contributed to the development of previously reported vascular calcifications."

The researchers also found traces of DNA from the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, meaning Ötzi may well be the earliest human case of Lyme disease on record.

Interestingly, when the researchers compared Ötzi's genome with that of modern day populations, they found he was most closely related not to people from Northern Italy (where he was discovered), but present-day inhabitants of the Tyrrhenian Sea, specifically men from the islands of Sardinia and Corsica.

The image above has been reproduced from the Nature commentary "Iceman's DNA reveals health risks and relations"