Africa

Ancient DNA Reveals Isolated Human Lineage in Green Sahara

Published APR 2 2025

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Image credit: Unsplash

The Facts

DNA analysis of two 7,000-year-old naturally mummified women from Libya's Takarkori rock shelter has revealed a previously unknown North African genetic lineage that remained largely isolated for tens of thousands of years.
ScienceAlert
MPG
The ancient individuals belonged to a population that split from sub-Saharan African lineages approximately 50,000 years ago, around the same time modern humans began migrating out of Africa. Yet, they maintained genetic isolation through the African Humid Period.
BBC Science Focus Magazine
Life Technology
According to a study published in Nature on Wednesday, during the African Humid Period (14,500-5,000 years ago), the Sahara transformed from a desert into a lush savanna with extensive lakes and rivers, supporting human habitation and the spread of pastoralism.
Nature
MPG
The Takarkori individuals shared close genetic ties with 15,000-year-old foragers from Morocco's Taforalt Cave, indicating a stable North African population existed before and during the Saharan humid period.
Science
ScienceAlert
Contrary to previous assumptions, genetic evidence suggests the Green Sahara did not serve as a migration corridor between Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa, as the Takarkori people showed limited gene flow with other populations.
Nature
MPG
The researchers found that ancient individuals possessed approximately ten times less Neanderthal DNA than people outside Africa, yet significantly more than contemporary sub-Saharan populations, suggesting minimal genetic mixing with populations from the north.
ScienceAlert
MPG

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The discovery challenges long-held assumptions about human migration patterns in ancient Africa. It shows that pastoralism spread through cultural exchange rather than population movement. The Green Sahara's inhabitants maintained their distinct genetic identity while adopting new technologies and practices from neighboring groups.

Science

ScienceAlert

Narrative B

The findings suggest a more complex picture of human prehistory in North Africa, where isolated populations could have existed in pockets across the region. The limited genetic mixing between northern and southern populations indicates stronger barriers to human movement than previously thought, despite the favorable environmental conditions of the Green Sahara.

Nature

Life Technology