Biology subjects

Orschiedt, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Orschiedt, J..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Reconstructing their genomes confirms the historically attested genealogy of the two medieval emperors Otto I (the Great) and Heinrich II (Saint Henry)

The Medieval Ottonian dynasty had a lasting impact on European history. We obtained ancient genomic DNA from the purported remains of Otto I (912-973) and Heinrich (Henry) II (973-1024), the first and last emperors of this dynasty, preserved in the cathedrals of Magdeburg and Bamberg, respectively. Historical records attest that they were related as a great-uncle and a grandnephew via the paternal line. Whole-genome sequencing confirms such a relationship between the two individuals, as we identify a third-degree genetic relationship based on shared DNA segments and infer matching Y haplogroups. This genetic relatedness effectively identifies the remains of the two emperors. The authentication yields a valuable resource for refining and calibrating bio-archaeological methods. Because historical records provide the precise lifespans and dates of death of these individuals, their remains can serve as a "ground-truth" for methods such as radiocarbon dating and age-at-death estimates. They can provide calibration data to improve our understanding of the radiocarbon reservoir effects of Medieval elites. As the Ottonian lineage was closely linked to the mating networks of elites across Europe, the genomes of the two emperors are valuable resources for identifying other potential elite burials.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2025

Historic Genomes Uncover Demographic Shifts and Kinship Structures in Post-Roman Central Europe

Many European towns and villages trace their origins to Early Medieval foundations. In former Roman territories, their emergence has traditionally been linked to mass migrations from outside the Roman Empire. However, recent studies have emphasised local continuity with some individual-level mobility. We generated and analysed 248 historic genomes from Late Roman (3rd and 4th century CE) and Early Medieval (5th-8th century CE) burial sites in southern Germany, comparing them to over 2,500 contemporary and Iron Age genomes in addition to 1,344 modern-day genomes from Germany, Italy and Great-Britain. Despite small inferred Early Medieval period community sizes, genetic diversity exceeded that of modern German cities. In the Altheim graveyard, established in the 5th century by a group of Northern European descent, we inferred a demographic shift in the 6th century with the integration of newcomers with ancestry typical of a nearby Roman military camp, likely as a result of the collapse of Roman state structures. We reconstructed multigenerational pedigrees and, using a novel approach to infer ancestry of unsampled relatives, inferred immediate intermarriage between incoming and local groups, with a distinct tendency for men from former Roman background marrying women of northern descent. Burial proximity correlates strongly with kinship, in some cases spanning six generations. These communities were organized around small family units, exhibited loosely patrilineal or bilateral descent patterns, practiced reproductive monogamy, and avoided close-kin marriages. Such practices reflect broader transformations in family structures that began during the Late Roman period, were transferred to small agrarian societies in the Early Medieval period, and continued to shape European societies. By the 7th century, ongoing admixture had shaped genetic diversity patterns into those resembling Central Europe today.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2023

Learning context shapes bimanual control strategy and generalization of novel dynamics

Bimanual movements are fundamental components of everyday actions, yet the underlying mechanisms coordinating adaptation of the two hands remains unclear. Although previous studies highlighted the contextual effect of kinematics of both arms on internal model formation, we do not know how the sensorimotor control system associates the learned memory with the experienced states in bimanual movements. More specifically, can, and if so, how, does the sensorimotor control system combine multiple states from different effectors to create and adapt a motor memory? Here, we tested motor memory formation in two groups with a novel paradigm requiring the encoding of the kinematics of the right hand to produce the appropriate predictive force on the left hand. While one group was provided with training movements in which this association was evident, the other group was trained on conditions in which this association was ambiguous. After adaptation, we tested the encoding of the learned motor memory by measuring the generalization to new movement combinations. While both groups adapted to the novel dynamics, the evident group showed a weighted encoding of the learned motor memory based on movements of the other (right) hand, whereas the ambiguous group exhibited mainly same (left) hand encoding in bimanual trials. Despite these differences, both groups demonstrated partial generalization to unimanual movements of the left hand. Our results show that motor memories can be encoded depending on the motion of other limbs, but that the training conditions strongly shape the encoding of the motor memory formation and determine the generalization to novel contexts. Author summaryUsing cutlery, buttoning up a shirt or cooking a meal requires precise coordination between two hands. These daily activities seem effortless, as they are based on well-adapted motor memories covering a wide space of experienced states. We demonstrate that the sensorimotor control system creates a motor memory of one limb using the experienced states of the other limb. Presentation of evident or ambiguous information about this relation between the two limbs shaped the bimanual control by changing the extent to which kinematic information of each arm which was used to control subsequent movements. Importantly, bimanual motor memories are only partially transferred to unimanual actions, likely engaging different neural processes. This has strong implications for rehabilitation techniques that employ bimanual training.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Between fishing and farming: palaeogenomic analyses reveal cross-cultural interactions triggered by the arrival of the Neolithic in the Danube Gorges

While early Neolithic populations in Europe were largely descended from early Aegean farmers, there is also evidence of episodic gene flow from local Mesolithic hunter-gatherers into early Neolithic communities. Exactly how and where this occurred is still unknown. Here we report direct evidence for admixture between the two groups at the Danube Gorges in Serbia. Analysis of palaeogenomes recovered from skeletons revealed that second-generation mixed individuals were buried amidst individuals whose ancestry was either exclusively Aegean Neolithic or exclusively local Mesolithic. The mixed ancestry is also reflected in a corresponding mosaic of grave goods. With its deep sequence of occupation and its unique dwellings that suggest at least semi-sedentary occupation since the late Mesolithic, the area of the Danube Gorges has been at the center of the debate about the contribution of Mesolithic societies to the Neolithisation of Europe. As suggested by our data, which were processed exclusively with uncertainty-aware bioinformatic tools, it may have been precisely in such contexts that close interactions between these societies were established, and Mesolithic ancestry and cultural elements were assimilated.

genomics↗