Our research began with obtaining permissions for archaeological, human, and animal studies, aligning with Nagoya Protocol principles. Exchanges, workshops, and conferences, including major events in Central Asia and Portugal, facilitated dissemination. Over 50 presentations, a documentary, and collaborations with museums led to public lectures, a museum exhibit, and full Mongolian translations of key articles. The 2023 AAA's Exemplary Cross-Fields Award recognized our work on human-microbial relationships in the DAIRYCULTURES project.
Bench protocols for ancient DNA and proteins were published. Genetic and proteomic data were deposited in ENA and PRIDE. Ethnographic materials were shared online, complemented by a companion article in Current Anthropology.
We reconstructed 214 ancient Mongolian genomes, unveiling population dynamics over 6,000 years. LP alleles' Bronze Age introduction in Mongolia and their non-selection were highlighted. Additionally, 18 ancient genomes from the Tarim Basin revealed a Bronze Age dairy pastoralist population lacking genetic lactase persistence.
Dental calculus proteomes analysis identified the Afanasievo as the earliest dairy pastoralists in Mongolia at 3000 BCE. Dairying evolution revealed sheep focus initially, expanding to include goats and cattle, and later horse and camel milking in subsequent periods. Afanasievo migration to the Dzungarian basin influenced local adoption of cattle milking. The genetic origin of Afanasievo in the North Caucasus steppe led to a high-resolution reconstruction of the spread of dairying from the Near East/Anatolia through the Eurasian steppe to Mongolia.
Bronze Age livestock and dairy technology's cultural exchange spread further than human migrations alone. Genetic screening of 1,065 livestock bones across the Eurasian steppe highlighted the importance of cultural exchange in early dairying. Prescreening via ZooMS methods improved genetic sequence efforts. Modern livestock genomes in Mongolia were sequenced, surpassing initial plans in both sample size and sequencing effort.
Microbiome sampling, LP testing, and breath hydrogen tests offered insights. Distinct microbial communities in nomadic pastoralist and urban gut microbiomes were observed. Nomadic pastoralists maintained high gut microbiome diversity, Prevotella abundance, Bifidobacteria variability, and elevated levels of dairy-associated lactic acid bacteria. De novo metagenomic assembly identified novel bacterial species, shaping ongoing peer-reviewed publications.
Pandemic-related disruptions redirected funds to livestock genomic sequencing, delaying microbiome data completion. Despite challenges, this project yielded 28 publications, 59 conference presentations, 2 conferences, 4 workshops, 1 museum exhibit, 1 documentary film, and diverse outreach resources. The extensive impact demonstrates the project's significance in anthropology and genetic research.
