The DNA of Romanians is 50-60% of Slavic origin, similar to the DNA of its neighbors in the Balkans, Bulgaria and Croatia, reports the Hungarian news station Hir TV, citing an American study.

Wolf and cubs statue from Cluj-NapocaPhoto: Roland Nagy | Dreamstime.com

As reported by the Hungarian news television, the American scientific journal Cell recently published a study “Genome history of the Balkans from the Roman border to the Slavic migration.”

The researchers, who conducted the work published on cell.com, claim that Bulgarians, Romanians and Croats have the highest concentration of Slavic genes, the quoted source said. In contrast, Greeks have the lowest presence of this genetic inheritance, ranging from 4 to 20 percent.

The Hungarian press reports that the study shows that the Romanians were not the first in Transylvania

The Romanian press has not yet reported on the study, Hir TV reports, adding that it is not “surprising” as the study shows that “the theory of Daco-Roman succession, which has artificial foundations, is rejected”.

“As you know, according to this theory, the authorities in Bucharest claim Transylvania,” added the news station, known as a supporter of Viktor Orbán’s regime.

The Hungarian magazine Mandiner also notes that “the study may have worried Romanians, as they have long promoted a theory based on the affinity between the Romanian and Latin languages. According to this theory, Romanians from Transylvania are the descendants of the former inhabitants of Roman Dacia, Romanized Dacians and Roman colonists, thus being the original inhabitants of Transylvania.”

The research, which disproved the Daco-Roman origin theory, was also reported by Serbian and Bulgarian mass media, Hir TV notes.

The Tanjug.rs portal called the DNA research revolutionary, which led to surprising discoveries about the genetic structure of the Balkan population of Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Albania and Greece.

The newspaper adds that the research, carried out in collaboration between Serbian, Spanish and American scientists, sheds light on the prevalence of Slavic genes in the region.

(article photo: © Roland Nagy | Dreamstime.com)