Oetzi, the prehistoric man frozen in a glacier for 5,300 years, could have been infertile

Rebecca Morelle:

Genetic research, published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, also confirms that his roots probably lie in Central Europe.

Oetzi's body was found in the melting ice of the Schnalstal glacier in the Italian Alps in 1991.

Examination of his remains has already revealed the Copper Age man almost certainly died as a result of a fight.

The assessment is based on the presence of an arrowhead that is lodged in his back and extensive cuts to his hands.

The scientists behind the latest genetic research now speculate that Oetzi's possible sterility could have been a factor that led to this violent end.

Dr Franco Rollo, from the University of Camerino, and colleagues examined stretches of DNA taken from cells in the iceman's intestines.

In particular, they looked at the genetic material contained in mitochondria, tiny structures that provide power to cells. This type of DNA is passed only down the maternal line.

The team says it found areas that are linked to an increased chance of male infertility.

"We screened sites [of the DNA] which have been described by other scientists as being linked to other pathologies or environmental adaptations," Dr Rollo said.

"A couple of these sites have been described as being linked to reduced sperm mobility and we found both on Oetzi's mitochondrial DNA," he told the BBC New website.

"We cannot say for certain that he was suffering from this [reduced sperm mobility], but there is a chance."

Eine kleine skull-musik . . .

Tyrolean Iceman had mtDNA haplogroup K1