Chilly Siberia
Ancient DNA suggests ancestors of Estonians, Finns and Hungarians lived in Siberia 4,500 years ago News By Kristina Killgrove | July 27, 2025 The Saami people, who are indigenous to Finland, speak a Uralic language. (Image credit: Getty Images) A study of genomes from ancient Siberian people shows genetic linkages with people living in Estonia, Finland and Hungary today. Present-day speakers of Hungarian, Finnish and Estonian have substantial Siberian ancestry, a new study of ancient genomes finds. These roots likely spread westward from a group of people living in the forest steppes of the Altai Mountains of Central and East Asia 4,500 years ago. Ancient DNA revealed that this group was patrilineal, or organized based on descent from fathers. However, while ancient DNA can show where a group moved over time, it's challenging to use genetics to track language. So experts have noted that the results do not definitivel...