Back in the first millennium A.D., waves of human migration across Europe created an elaborate genetic puzzle that researchers have now started to unravel with a leap in DNA analysis. An enhanced look at the movement of populations during the time of the Roman Empire and the Vikings has illustrated the genetic impact of this consequential era of history.New research led by the Francis Crick Institute and published in Nature centers around a data analysis method known as Twigstats, which focuses on assessing genetic family trees. This allowed for a plethora of unprecedented discoveries on historic Iron Age migrations in Europe from the years 1 to 1000. Using Twigstats, the researchers dissected the differences between genetically similar groups in a more precise way than ever before.Southward Migration of Germanic PeoplesThe researchers examined over 1500 European genomes from people who lived during the first millennium, an eventful period in European history. These years marked the dramatic rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the dawn of the Vikings, and the migration of several Germanic groups throughout the continent.The origins of Germanic peoples is somewhat nebulous the word Germanic is an umbrella term used to describe a multitude of tribes that spoke related Germanic languages. Theyre thought to have originated somewhere around the modern day regions of Northern Germany, Denmark, and Southern Sweden.The new research, however, illuminated the departure of groups that migrated from Northern Germany or Scandinavia to Central and Southern Europe. Alliances of Germanic tribes famously fought back against the Roman Empire as it attempted to expand its borders around the beginning of the millennium. The earliest information on Germanic peoples and their culture was recorded in Roman accounts a notable example could be Germania, a book written around 98 A.D. by Roman historian Tacitus.Researchers bolstered this historical knowledge with genetic evidence, finding ancestry from the Germanic groups that spread south in people who lived in southern Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, and southern Britain. In one case, they found that a person in southern Europe that carried 100 percent Scandinavian-like ancestry.The genetic study showed that the migrating Germanic peoples mixed with pre-existing populations. Their migration routes appeared to match with the three major branches of Germanic languages that would eventually develop: West Germanic (English, German, and Dutch), North Germanic (Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, and Faroese), and East Germanic (a now extinct language family).Migration Back to ScandinaviaThe researchers uncovered one person possibly a Roman soldier or slave gladiator living in Britain around 100 A.D. to 300 A.D. who had 25 percent Scandinavian ancestry. This insinuates that people of Scandinavian ancestry were in Britain before the Anglo-Saxon period (around 400 A.D. to 1,000 A.D.) and Viking period (around 800 A.D. to 1,000 A.D.).Genetic analysis explored another wave of migration toward the end of the Iron Age in Scandinavia, which ended about 800 A.D., coinciding with the rise of Vikings. This time, though, it was people from Central Europe moving back up north into Scandinavia.Evidence suggests this was not just a one-time migration event, but a continuous shift in ancestry. Researchers landed on this idea thanks to biomolecular analysis of teeth from people buried in the island of land, Sweden, who carried ancestry from Central Europe, but grew up locally.More evidence is needed to determine the reasons for migrations around Scandinavia at this time, but researchers say repeated conflicts and unrest may have played a large role in spurring the movement of people.The Vast Range of Viking AncestryVikings are known for their marauding campaigns across parts of Europe, made possible by their shipbuilding capabilities that allowed raid parties to reach the British Isles and other areas by sea.The extent of their raids had a resounding genetic impact throughout much of Europe, as researchers found that many people outside of Scandinavia during the Viking Age had a mix of local and Scandinavian ancestry.This could be seen near the eastern limits of Europe, where researchers identified ancestry from Sweden in Viking Age individuals who lived in what is now Ukraine and Russia.On the opposite side of Europe, they similarly identified ancestry from Denmark in individuals living in Britain during the height of the Viking era. In Britain, remains of deceased men buried in Viking Age mass graves also showed Scandinavian ancestry, demonstrating the spread of Viking genetics in the region.The genetic discoveries from Twigstats have undeniably helped round out the story of Iron Age migrations from Germanic peoples to Vikings, but they will also pave the way for future studies on historic ancestry, as more ancient genome sequences need to be studied according to researchers.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Britannica. Germanic peoplesBritannica. Germanic languagesJORVIK Viking Centre. Where did the Vikings come from?Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

Nature, Published online: 01 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-04237-wA new wave of obesity drugs, a multitude of space missions and concern over climate-action policies we run through what to look out for over the next 12 months.

The stereo function of the Celestron Labs S10-60 makes this microscope perfect for 3D viewing, for those with a little experience.

A Chinese spacecraft that burned up high over Los Angeles created a sonic trail detected by ground-based sensors.

PlayStation has revealed this month's batch of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. All PS Plus members will be able to claim a trio of freebies starting January 7: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. If you haven't claimed December's PlayStation Plus free games yet, make sure to do so before next Tuesday.Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was one of several live-service games released last year that failed to find an audience, as this team-based romp through Metropolis starring several supervillains received a lukewarm reception at best when it was first released. After several months of updates and new characters being added to the game's roster, its final season went live in December 2024.Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is widely regarded as one of the best entries in EA's racing game series, and its remaster, released in 2020, added several neat enhancements. Depending on which side of the law you want to play as, this is still a fun racing game packed with cool cars, sharp visuals, and satisfying vehicular destruction.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The 1990's was one of the best decades for FPS games. From Doom to Quake, these are the best titles from every year in the 90s.

PlayStation's live-service push has been a bit of a mixed bag so far. In the span of just 12 months, Sony has canceled The Last of Us' multiplayer game, which was set to be the company's flagship live-service product, and it released Concord, which was pulled from storefronts and shut down just two weeks after launch. But PlayStation also released Helldivers 2 between those two events, which sold 12 million copies in its first three months and broke records to become PlayStation's fastest-selling game of all time.

With the announcement that Wit Studio will be remaking One Piece, starting with the East Blue Saga with the potential to adapt more, there is increasing discussion around what other series might deserve a similar treatment. One Piece started airing over 20 years ago, and has been running nearly non-stop since, so it is in a unique position to be able to "remake" a show that is still running.

Happy New Year! Kick off your 2025 gaming sessions by taking on (and taking out) a league of corrupted super heroes, race on both sides of the law and escape office life with the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for January. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe launch January 7 for PlayStation Plus members*.Lets take a closer look at the games.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League | PS5Take down The Justice League yourself in single-player or team up with friends in multiplayer co-op in this genre-defying, action-adventure third-person shooter from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series. Featuring an original narrative set within an expansive open-world city of Metropolis, the game puts the four DC Super-Villains on a collision course with an invading alien force and DC Super Heroes who are now laser-focused on destroying the city they once vowed to protect. All the while, the Suicide Squad must be mindful of the lethal explosives implanted in their heads that could go off at the first sign of defiance. Each squad member has their own unique moveset with enhanced traversal abilities to freely explore the dynamic open-world of Metropolis, along with a variety of weapons to customize, and skills to master.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageNeed for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered | PS4Feel the thrill of the chase and the rush of escape in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. Unleash a savage sense of speed both as an outlaw and a cop in the worlds hottest high-performance cars. Outsmart the heat or take down lawbreakers with the tactical weaponry at your disposal in a heart-pumping, socially competitive racing experience. Updated with enhanced visuals, cross-platform multiplayer including the asynchronous competition powered by Autolog plus all additional DLC content, this is the ultimate edition of Criterion Games critically acclaimed Need for Speed debut. Its time to reignite the pursuit.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageThe Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe | PS4, PS5The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an expanded re-imagining of the critically acclaimed, award winning indie game The Stanley Parable from 2013. Everything that was in the original Stanley Parable is here, preserved just like it was back in 2013. But The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe also dramatically expands the world of the original game with new content, new choices, and new secrets to uncover. The labyrinth has just gotten bigger. In addition, the game has been visually upgraded to reflect modern technology while faithfully preserving the tone of the original game. Accessibility features have also been added to the game, including localization of in-world text, colorblind options, and content warnings. And just as before, the impeccable voicework of Kevan Brighting will accompany you every step of the way.All three games will be available to PlayStation Plus members on January 7 until February 3.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageLast chance to download Decembers gamesPlayStation Plus members have until January 6 to add It Takes Two, Aliens: Dark Descent and Temtem to their game libraries.*PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup may differ in certain regions. Please check the PlayStation Store on launch day for your regions lineup.

Several high-profile tabletop role-playing games that have been in the works for years are scheduled to finally be released in 2025, setting the stage for a year where players and game masters will truly be spoiled for choice. As Wizards of the Coast finishes its 50th-anniversary rules refresh with the release of a new Monster Manual, it will face competition from former collaborators, including Critical Roles Darrington Press, Paizo, and MCDM, as the fallout from Hasbros attempted revisions to the Open Gaming License continues years after the plan was abandoned.Even still, D&Ds pull remains powerful. While Wizards publication schedule is relatively light in 2025, with a long gap between the Monster Manual and an as-yet-unnamed adventure anthology being released in the summer, third-party publishers continue to find creative new spins on the system. This year will offer 5th edition players the chance to hunt kaiju and delve into folk horror. Other new releases offer the opportunity to tell new stories in the worlds of two of the most beloved fantasy authors. Whatever youre looking for in a TTRPG, this alphabetical list offers a glimpse of the books were most excited about.The Broken Empires RPGTrevor Devall is publishing the gritty fantasy setting and skill-based system he developed over the course of four seasons of actual plays on the TTRPG channel Me, Myself and Die!, picking and choosing mechanics from more than 125 other games. The Broken Empires RPG promises to prioritize exploration and intrigue while offering a high level of flexibility for characters.Cosmere RPGBrandon Sanderson isnt planning on returning to the Stormlight Archive for six years, but fans of the epic fantasy series will be able to have their own adventures on Roshar with the Cosmere RPG. The author worked closely with Brotherwise Games to develop a system that will begin there with an adventure that ties directly into his latest book, but the game promises to grow to include campaigns in Sandersons Mistborn setting and the possibility of stories that move between worlds.The Crooked MoonOriginally expected for release in 2024, The Crooked Moon was delayed until 2025 so that Legends of Avantris could deliver a product worthy of its ambitions and its $4 million Kickstarter campaign. The folk horror setting for Dungeons & Dragons 5e promises terrifying adventures, epic multiphase boss fights, and twisted curses, while offering players plenty of spooky new species and subclass options.Critical Roles DaggerheartCritical Role helped inspire a new generation of Dungeons & Dragons players, but now its Darrington Press imprint is launching its own high fantasy RPG. While some early players think its not distinct enough, the Daggerheart open beta has hooked others with innovations like card-based character creation and tracking both emotional stress and hit points. Swapping the d20 for 2d12s also allows for more consistent player abilities, avoiding the frustration of missing too often.Draw Steel (formerly the MCDM RPG)MCDM has made plenty of excellent supplements for D&D 5e, like Flee, Mortals! and Strongholds & Followers, but like so many third-party publishers the company was shaken by the OGL fiasco. It has spent the intervening time developing its own system, Draw Steel, that will focus on dynamic action, keeping combats moving quickly by lumping attack and damage into a single roll and granting characters resources as they fight so that combats get more intense as the rounds pass.Monster ManualWizards of the Coast will complete the revision of the D&D 5e core rulebooks in February with the release of its largest-ever Monster Manual. The book will feature more than 90 brand-new monsters along with hundreds of favorites that have been redesigned and rebalanced. It also promises to make things easier on DMs with a more intuitive organization system. The updated Dungeon Masters Guide and Players Handbook have helped push the 50-year-old game forward, and hopefully its refreshed dragons and owlbears will do the same.Pathfinder Lost Omens: Rival AcademiesFans of magical school stories and anyone looking for inspiration for their next Pathfinder monk or wizard will want to pick up Pathfinder Lost Omens: Rival Academies when it comes out in March. Paizo has been doing a great job at enriching its already complex setting with its Lost Omens series, and this promises to be a particularly fun entry, set at a gathering of six academies each with their own specialty, from mad science to exploring the fae realms.Ryokos Guide to the Yokai RealmsThe highly anticipated follow-up to Loot Taverns D&D 5e book Helianas Guide to Monster Hunting, Ryokos Guide to the Yokai Realms takes the publishers dynamic crafting system and penchant for engaging boss fights into a setting inspired by East Asian mythology and pop culture. Players will be able to hunt kaiju and learn how to exploit their vulnerabilities, play a new class based on Avatar: The Last Airbender, and coordinate with their party members to unleash combo attacks.Starfinder Second Edition Player CoreThe playtest for Starfinder 2e already feels like a huge achievement, thanks to its depth of character options and monsters, creative changes to the world, and rich initial adventures, but its really designed to get feedback from players and game masters that will shape the Gen Con release of the Starfinder Second Edition Player Core and the books that come after. The science fantasy games rules have been made fully compatible with Pathfinder 2e, making it easier for gaming groups to try their hand at planet hopping and dealing with everything from political intrigue to cosmic horrors. You can still find the playtest materials right now, free to download online.Terry Pratchetts Discworld RPG: Adventures in Ankh-MorporkModiphius Entertainment has a great track record of high-profile TTRPG adaptations, including Dune: Adventures in the Imperium and Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, and its applying it to the irreverent world of Terry Pratchetts beloved fantasy series in Terry Pratchetts Discworld RPG: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork. Rather than using Modiphius signature 2d20 mechanics, the game employs a custom Narrativium system, keeping the mechanics simple so you can focus on making puns.