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Urbanization and genetic homogenization in the medieval Low Countries revealed through a ten-century paleogenomic study of the city of Sint-Truiden - Genome Biology

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

For all the details, read our paper: genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Background Processes shaping the formation of the present-day population structure in highly urbanized Northern Europe are still poorly understood. Gaps remain in our understanding of when and how cur...

genomebiology.biomedcentral.com

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Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

For the first time, we could reconstruct migration, family structure, urban development and epidemics in one medieval town in Flanders. (9/9)

Many congrats to Owyn Beneker, Toomas Kivisild, Christiana Scheib & all co-authors! Thanks to @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social and agentschap Onroerend erfgoed

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

We found few family ties among the 400 individuals—far fewer than in medieval Cambridge (UK). Only near the abbey, in the cemetery’s oldest part, were relatives more often buried together. Likely a reflection of social status. (8/9)

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

The plague left no significant impact on the population’s genetic makeup. We also found no evidence of lasting changes in immune gene diversity.
Other pathogens linked to poverty and poor hygiene were detected too, including Borrelia and Leptospira. (7/9)

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

For the first time, we found direct evidence of the plague in medieval Flanders: Yersinia pestis DNA in five individuals from the 14th century.
They were scattered across the cemetery—not in mass graves. No historical record from 14th-century Sint-Truiden mentions the plague at that time. (6/9)

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

From the 11th century onward, the population became genetically more homogeneous—similar to today’s people from region. This was result of centuries of mixing between ‘Gallic’ (blue) & ‘Germanic’ (orange) ancestral groups, shaping north-south genetic gradient still visible in Low Countries. (5/9)

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

The earliest inhabitants (8th–10th century) were remarkably genetically diverse (red on PCA). Differences between Flemish sites were then almost as large as those between present-day Flemish & Spanish populations. We even found 5 individuals with ancestry similar to medieval Irish or Scots. (4/9)

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Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

Teeth from 400 individuals were sampled as sterile as possible for ancient DNA. The result: a genetic timeline of a millennium, spread across the entire cemetery. (3/9)

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Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

In 2019, more than 3000 skeletons were excavated beneath the Groenmarkt in Sint-Truiden, the historic cemetery of the Church of Our Lady. For centuries, it lay also in the shadow of the influential abbey of Saint Trudo (†693). (2/9)

UYSD: a novel data repository accessible via public website for worldwide population frequencies of Y-SNP haplogroups - European Journal of Human Genetics

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 20

Discover our results of the largest ancient DNA study ever conducted on a single burial site: 400 skeletons from the Belgian city Sint-Truiden (8th–18th century). A unique glimpse into 1000 years of genetic history. (1/9) @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social

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Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 8

We proudly present UYSD:
a new open-access repository with global Y-SNP haplogroup frequencies.
A valuable resource for forensic genetics, genetic genealogy, population studies, and more.
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

European Journal of Human Genetics - UYSD: a novel data repository accessible via public website for worldwide population frequencies of Y-SNP haplogroups

www.nature.com

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Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · May 8

🎬 Aanrader: gratis documentaire ‘Vermist en Gevonden’ ging gisteren in première in @StadIeper!
Leerlingen uit het secundair onderwijs onderzoeken het lot van vermiste WOI-soldaten.
Ik praat met hen over DNA-identificatie en ethische kwesties.
Bekijk hier 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fkm...

Vermist en Gevonden | Missing and Found

YouTube video by In Flanders Fields Museum

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Maarten Larmuseau

Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies @strathgenealogy.bsky.social · Mar 31

Hear Prof. dr. Maarten H.D. Larmuseau’s talk “Mommy’s baby, daddy’s maybe”: Genetic genealogical reconstruction of extra-pair paternity behaviour.

Prof. dr. Larmuseau is a genetic genealogist at KU Leuven (University of Leuven, Belgium).

🎟️Register > bit.ly/3QzHhe9

Who’s Your Daddy?? No seriously.

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · Apr 2

Apparently I have an "oddly specific scientific obsession"... guilty as charged 😅
Thanks #TILscience for the nice video on our research @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social www.youtube.com/shorts/1hrr2...

YouTube video by Today I Learned Science

www.youtube.com

Intrusive thoughts during pregnancy, paternity detectives, and updates from the Trump Tracker

Reposted by Maarten Larmuseau

Andrew Curry @spoke32.bsky.social · Mar 10

I'm on the @science.org podcast this week with @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social & @bscelza.bsky.social talking about genetic genealogy, cuckoldry and extra-pair paternity: www.science.org/content/podc... (Starting around 15:00)

On this week’s show: The latest news on how U.S. government science agencies are being impacted by President Donald Trump’s administration, how researchers are using genealogy and DNA testing to find ...

www.science.org

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Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · Mar 7

Honoured to see an article about my research on extra-pair paternity in @science.org. Many thanks to journalist @spoke32.bsky.social for the story and to all colleagues for their quotes!
Hopefully, future visitors to my office will be less surprised by a (reproduction) 17th-century painting...

How often are children genetically unrelated to their presumed fathers?

Tackling a touchy subject, genetic detective finds only 1% of European children have unexpected paternity

www.science.org

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Reposted by Maarten Larmuseau

Katherine Stiles @katherinestiles.org · Mar 7

Geneticist @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social tackles a touchy question: How often are children genetically unrelated to their presumed fathers?

How often are children genetically unrelated to their presumed fathers?

Tackling a touchy subject, genetic detective finds only 1% of European children have unexpected paternity

www.science.org

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Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · Feb 25

Looking forward to my keynote talk 'Mommy's baby, daddy's mayby' at the (online) genetic genealogical symposium! Booking is now open 👇 www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/...

Advancing Genetic Genealogy | University of Strathclyde

www.strath.ac.uk

Misattributed paternity discovery: A critique of medical organizations’ recommendations

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · Feb 14

Dit weekend is het groot feest in Leuven voor de 600ste verjaardag van onze alma mater KU Leuven! 🎉🍾
Zoveel te beleven maar je kan starten met mijn 600 sec lezing over 'Het DNA-verhaal van Vlaanderen'. 🧬
Iedereen welkom om 10u in de promotiezaal, Naamsestraat 22 www.kuleuven.be/600jaar/prog...

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Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · Feb 3

Important critique by individuals who personally discovered their #misattributed #paternity.
Their analysis exposes ethical and clinical shortcomings in current medical guidelines. The discussion on transparency needs to be reassessed.
👉https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297%2825%2900006-0

The five authors recently discovered their misattributed paternity (MP), two ascertaining that, decades ago, their pediatricians abetted the paternity deception. From their unique perspective, the aut...

www.cell.com

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · Jan 22

Ik heb de fouten laten weten! @vrtnws.bsky.social

Meisjes aan de macht? DNA-onderzoek suggereert dat mannen hun vrouwen volgden bij Kelten in Verenigd Koninkrijk

Maarten Larmuseau @maartenlarmuseau.bsky.social · Jan 22

2 fouten in 1 quote bij vrtnws🫣: "Ze hebben enerzijds het mitochondriaal DNA bestudeerd. Dat is DNA dat zich op de celwand bevindt en enkel via moeder op dochter wordt doorgegeven".
Het bevindt in mitochondriën en niet in celwand, en het is via moeder op kind (ook zoon).
www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/20...

www.vrt.be