A new study suggests that Otzi the Iceman, the 5,300-year-old frozen mummy, still has 19 living genetic relatives in Austria.
According to Institute for Forensic Medicine researcher Walther Parson, "These men and the 'Iceman' had the same ancestors."
Otzi is one of the most popular ice-covered mummies worldwide. His frozen remains were discovered in the Italian Otzal Alps September 19, 1991. According to scientists, he died at age, with a weight of 110 lbs and height of 5'3".
His death is one of the world’s most interesting cases that motivated a lot of scientists to investigate and analyze his frozen remains.
They say that the probable cause of his death was an arrow shot on the head which damaged one of his eyes and caused severe blood loss resulting to his death. They believe however that he had several health problems such as tooth decay, joint pains, heart disease, lactose intolerance and probably Lyme disease.
At the time of his discovery, there were no indications of any living relatives until now. Austrian researchers say that his 19 relatives now live in the Tyrol region of Austria.
The team of researchers examined records of Austrian DNA from 3,700 blood donors. They were part of the study for the Y-chromosome mutation G-L91, a rare mutation and a credible indicator for ancestral lineage.
This mutation is said to be passed down generation to generation and can map out male ancestry. It cannot be used for female ancestry because it only traceable using the Y-sex chromosome.
The scientists are trying to figure out the migration flow of distinct populations as they spread out in the Alpine villages. Their work has further supported the patterns of migration in the prehistoric times, from Austrian Pillersattel channel to the Landeck region.
The Austrian Press Agency which first published the story also suggests that there might be other living relatives in the Swiss and Italian regions.
