Research published in Nature We uncovered insights into genetic genetic genetic genes of the ancient inhabitants of the Green Sahara. Researchers have successfully sequenced the DNA of two 7,000-year-old natural mothers recovered from the Takalkori rock shelter in Libya's Tadrato Acasas Mountains. This study determines that these individuals belong to an isolated North African human lineage, and the genome signature appears to be visible only to modern North Africans.
The analysis showed that the genetic makeup of individuals in Takalkoli shared a close link to 15,000 years of hunter gatherers from the Taffort Cave in Morocco, related to Iberomaur culture. Findings suggested that the Sahara was a savanna with grass, trees, lakes and rivers, and that there was a stable population in North Africa during a humid period when giraphs, hippos, hippos, and human groups were engaged in hunting and gathering.
Genomic studies show that approximately 93% of Takalkori individuals were derived from previously unknown North African populations. They carry around 0.15% Neanderthal DNA, which is significantly lower than the 0.6% to 0.9% found in the Taffort and the Neolithic Morocco post-population. “Our data show that early North African populations remained primarily isolated, but there were traces of the Neanderthal genome due to a small flow of genes from outside of Africa,” said Johannes Kraus, director of evolutionary anthropology at the Max Planck Institute. Phys.org.
Genetic evidence opposed the idea that the green Sahara served as a moving corridor between North and Sub-Saharan Africa during a humid period in Africa. The results show that the Takakalkori lineage was isolated from the sub-Saharan group about 50,000 years ago, with no contribution from the Sahara's southern population. Instead, the genetic profile appeared to be attributed to the segregation of this region. This is a factor that influenced the genomic landscape of modern North Africans.
Archaeologists have discovered a timeline of human occupation at the Takarkoli rock shelter. This included burials from the early idyllic period (calibrated years of about 8,300-7,300 years now) to the mid-dyllic period (calibrated years of about 7,100-5,600 years now). The remains were preserved by the dry, high temperature conditions in the area, providing a rare opportunity to extract genetic material despite generally low endogenous DNA. Rock art and burial practices supported the history of idyllic and resource gatherings as climatic conditions that changed about five thousand years ago transformed the savanna into the desert that dominated North Africa.
“Our research questions several theories about the history of the population in North Africa,” Nada Salem, the first author of the study, said in a statement. She added that the prevalence of idyllicism through the green Sahara is likely to occur through cultural exchanges rather than large-scale migration, and genomic data confirms that despite the small genetic mixture outside of Africa, individuals in Takalkori maintain their ancestors that distinguish them from other groups.
This article was written with the support of the News Analysis System.
