DNA Holds Clues to Why Humans Migrate

The urge to explore and relocate, a defining characteristic of human history, may be deeply ingrained in our DNA, according to new research published February 6 on bioRxiv.org. A large-scale genetic study suggests that long-distance migration isn’t solely driven by socioeconomic factors like job opportunities or political climates, but also by biological traits linked to cognition and risk-taking that have been favored by evolution for millennia.

Researchers, led by Jacob Michaelson of the University of Iowa, analyzed genetic data from approximately 250,000 individuals in the United Kingdom. They observed a correlation between how far people lived from their birthplace and specific genetic variations. Individuals who migrated greater distances tended to share variants in genes crucial for brain development, particularly those active in excitatory neurons – cells vital for learning, planning, and assessing uncertain outcomes.

While these genetic differences explain only a small portion – around 5 percent – of the variation in migration patterns, the association remained significant even after accounting for factors like education level and overall health. This suggests that the inclination to move is, at least partially, biologically determined, rather than simply a response to external circumstances.

Remarkably, this genetic signature isn’t limited to modern populations. Michaelson’s team extended their analysis to ancient DNA sequences from over 1,300 individuals dating back as far as 10,000 years. The same migration-linked genetic variants were found to predict the distance people moved during their lifetimes in the past, as estimated by the distance between their inferred birthplaces and burial sites. This finding provides compelling evidence that the genetic predisposition for migration has been present in human populations for a very long time.

The study further indicates that these variants have become more common over time, suggesting that natural selection may have favored traits associated with mobility and exploration as humans dispersed into new environments. Even the era of global exploration, spanning the 15th and 16th centuries, appears to have left a lasting imprint on the genetic makeup of populations, continuing to influence migration patterns today.

A separate analysis of data from the United States offered a glimpse into the potential economic consequences of these genetic predispositions. 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. They found that counties with a higher proportion of residents possessing migration-linked genes tended to experience faster income growth in subsequent years.

This suggests that individuals with a genetic inclination to migrate may contribute to economic dynamism in the communities they join, potentially by introducing new skills, ideas, and a willingness to take risks. However, researchers caution that this analysis is preliminary and does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

“This is pretty logical,” says Vasili Pankratov, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Tartu, who co-authored a related study last year linking genes to contemporary migration patterns. However, he emphasizes the complexity of studying social behaviors, stating, “Whenever you enter the social behavior genetics space, things become very complicated.”

The findings align with and build upon previous research in the field of ancient DNA analysis, which has increasingly demonstrated the power of genetics in understanding human migration patterns. As detailed in a 2025 publication in Genome Biology, ancient DNA has emerged as a powerful tool for detecting “admixture signatures” – evidence of genetic mixing between different populations – allowing researchers to reconstruct historical movements with greater precision. The methodologies employed, such as f-statistics and qpAdm, allow for a more nuanced understanding of how populations have interacted and dispersed over time.

recent discoveries regarding the earliest human migrations to Australia, highlighted by research on ancient rock art, underscore the long and complex history of human movement. Similarly, studies focusing on the Americas, published in 2025, reveal that the initial peopling of the continents wasn’t a single event, but rather a series of waves of migration originating from Asia, facilitated by the Bering Land Bridge.

While the genetic factors identified in the new study account for a relatively small percentage of migration behavior, the consistency of the findings across both modern and ancient populations suggests a fundamental biological component to this complex human trait. Further research will be needed to fully unravel the interplay between genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and individual choices in shaping the patterns of human movement throughout history and into the future.