The urge to explore and settle far from one’s origins may be deeply ingrained in human biology, according to a fresh study suggesting a genetic component to migratory behavior that stretches back thousands of years. Researchers found that patterns in the genomes of both modern and ancient populations correlate with the distances people moved during their lifetimes.
The study, published February 6 on bioRxiv.org, analyzed genetic data from approximately 250,000 people of UK descent, revealing that individuals who migrated farther shared genetic variants linked to brain development, specifically in excitatory neurons responsible for learning, planning, and risk assessment. Although these genetic differences accounted for only around 5 percent of the variation in migration distances, the correlation persisted even after controlling for factors like education, and health.
“There is something in our genome that affects our decisions” to move, said Ivan Kuznetsov, a behavioral geneticist at the University of Tartu in Estonia, who was not involved in the research.
To investigate the historical roots of this tendency, the research team, led by neurogeneticist Jacob Michaelson of the University of Iowa, examined ancient DNA sequences from over 1,300 individuals dating back as far as 10,000 years. The same migration-linked genetic variants predicted how far people moved in the past, as estimated by the distance between their inferred birthplaces and burial sites.
The frequency of these variants appeared to have increased over time, suggesting that traits associated with mobility and exploration may have been favored by natural selection as humans dispersed into new environments. This suggests that the drive to migrate isn’t solely a product of modern circumstances, but has deep evolutionary roots.
Further analysis of U.S. Data indicated a potential link between these genetic predispositions and regional economic growth. Researchers calculated a “migration score” – a DNA-based estimate of an individual’s propensity to move – for people in 222 U.S. Counties, using genetic data from over 3,000 adults. Counties that attracted more residents with high migration scores subsequently experienced faster income growth.
This finding raises the possibility that long-distance movers contribute to economic dynamism by introducing new skills, ideas, and a willingness to accept risks. However, researchers cautioned that this analysis is preliminary and does not establish a causal relationship.
The Allen Ancient DNA Resource (AADR), a curated compendium of ancient human genomes, was instrumental in the study’s analysis of ancient DNA. Established in 2019, the AADR provides researchers with a centralized, version-controlled database of ancient genomic data, addressing the challenges posed by varying data formats and metadata standards. As of late 2022, the AADR contained data from over 10,000 individuals with published genome-wide ancient DNA data, according to a report published in Nature in February 2024.
Vasili Pankratov, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Tartu, who coauthored a related study last year, acknowledged the logical connection between genetics and migration but cautioned about the complexities of studying social behaviors. “Whenever you enter the social behavior genetics space, things grow exceptionally complicated,” he said.
