
A new PNAS paper by Ayken Askapuli et al. presents ancient DNA from four medieval tombs in central Kazakhstan attributed to the Golden Horde. Radiocarbon dating places three individuals in the early‑mid 1300s and one in the 1700s, disproving local legends linking the graves to specific historic figures such as Joshi Khan. All three male samples belong to the C3* (C2a1a3‑F1918) Y‑chromosome haplogroup, confirming its presence among Golden Horde elites, and genome‑wide analysis shows close affinity to ancient Mongolian populations and kin relationships spanning five to six generations. The study also documents a shift toward Islamic burial orientations while retaining nomadic grave goods.

A team led by Alexander Platt, Daniel Harris and Sarah Tishkoff published a new Science paper showing that early African DNA entered Neanderthal genomes about 250,000 years ago, leaving a strong excess of African ancestry on the Neanderthal X chromosome....