News Genetics

A new look at Ötzi the Iceman’s DNA reveals new ancestry and other surprises

Ötzi was balding, dark-skinned and didn’t have ancestors from the Caspian steppe

An overhead photo of the Iceman Ötzi mummy lying on a white table.

Though the Iceman mummy’s skin is obviously dark, scientists used to think that was a result of being frozen in a glacier for more than 5,000 years. A new genetic analysis reveals that Ötzi really was dark-skinned.

Südtiroler Archäologiemuseum, Marco Samadelli/EURAC, Gregor Staschitz

By Tina Hesman Saey

A new look at the Iceman’s DNA reveals that his ancestors weren’t who scientists previously thought.