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Originally Posted by Gil
Well, the "Kurgan folk" was culturally neolithic and probably had originated southwards or eastwards: their mobility (horse domestication) and higher knowledge of iron working points in the direction of a warmer climate evolution; that is not to say that they had specifically adapted to a warmer climate but rather that that was their point of origin seeing as a northern origin seems unlikely (due to ice caps and generally speaking harsh climate) and also the dispersion of neolithic culture being from a south-eastern source.
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There was rather racial-population continuity in that area though. The early Neolithic influences (genetically) might have been rather minor. Furthermore what do you mean with iron working? The crucial period was long before the Iron Age and metal workings with iron were first produced on a higher level by the Hittites. From there it spread in all directions, that has nothing to do with heavy demographic changes, that was really rather a cultural phenomonen, even if it changed communities and finally lead to a more warlike period again with great migrations etc.
And the harsh climate disappeared already earlier, what has that to do with population continuity in much later Neolithic times? There were Neolithic immigrations, yes, and they might have brought PIE even (LBK and related) like I speculated once, but the dominant type in most Kurgan graves was Cromagnoid (with Mediterranoid and Nordoid). Cromagnoids didnt spread the early Neolithic culture primarily, that were (Proto-) Mediterranoids mostly.