During 2019 overwhelming DNA evidence emerged that Southern Levantines had DNA indistinguishable from that of Imperial Romans.
Mixed Partly true and partly false in roughly equal measure.
Factual: Statements about the present or the past, checked against the record: did they hold up?
What would count as true or false
True: a study published in 2019 (for example in a peer-reviewed genetics journal) shows that ancient DNA from Imperial-era Romans is genetically indistinguishable from, or clusters fully with, Southern Levantine (or Eastern Mediterranean/Near Eastern) populations, with strong statistical support. Mostly true: a 2019 study shows that Imperial Romans clustered closely with Levantine or Near Eastern populations, but the reference group is described more broadly (for example the 'Eastern Mediterranean'). Mixed: a 2019 study shows a substantial shift toward Near Eastern ancestry in Imperial Rome, but individuals vary widely, so 'indistinguishable' and 'overwhelming' are only partly supported. Mostly false: 2019 evidence shows only partial Near Eastern admixture, so the claim greatly overstates it, or the relevant evidence was published outside 2019. False: no 2019 study supports a close genetic link between Imperial Romans and Southern Levantines, or the studies contradict it.
Set before the research began.
Evidence (3)
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E1 Researchers lay out first genetic history of Rome - Phys.org Phys.org · 7 November 2019
“There was a massive shift in Roman residents' ancestry, the researchers found, but that ancestry came primarily from the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East, possibly because of denser populations there relative to the Roman Empire's western reaches in Europe and Africa.”
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E2 Like roads, many genetic lineages led to ancient Rome - Science & Tech - The Jakarta Post The Jakarta Post · 10 November 2019
“But during the imperial period, Romans had more in common with populations from Greece, Syria and Lebanon.”
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E3 Like roads, many genetic lineages led to ancient Rome - Science & Tech - The Jakarta Post The Jakarta Post · 10 November 2019
“The genetic "diversity was just overwhelming," added Ron Pinhasi of the University of Vienna, who extracted DNA from the skeletons' ear bones.”
Reasoning
E1 reports a 2019 genetic study of Rome that found a massive shift in Roman residents' ancestry during the imperial period, coming mainly from the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East. E3 says imperial-era Romans had more in common with populations from Greece, Syria and Lebanon. E4 quotes a researcher saying the genetic diversity was "overwhelming," which points to wide variation between individuals rather than one population indistinguishable from Southern Levantines. A substantial 2019 shift toward Near Eastern ancestry is supported, but the evidence does not support "indistinguishable," which fits the criteria for mixed.
Cite this claim
Nassim Taleb, “During 2019 overwhelming DNA evidence emerged that Southern Levantines had DNA indistinguishable from that of Imperial Romans.” (said 25 December 2019). Verdict: mixed. Reliability API, claim c_0fbba233be7a, method 0.1.0+28da144b, dataset release v1.1.2. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_0fbba233be7a
This claim is in dataset release v1.1.2, with the same verdict.
Reply to this claim
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Verdicts are made automatically; how verdicts are made.