Neolithic Agriculture's Slow Spread: Study Shows Hunter-Gatherers and Farmers Coexisted and Gradually Interbred

Neolithic agriculture's slow spread: Study shows hunter-gatherers and farmers coexisted and gradually interbred

The transition to agriculture in Europe involved the coexistence of hunter-gatherers and early farmers migrating from Anatolia.

Agriculture spread across Europe through coexistence and gradual mixing

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 21, 2025 The spread of farming across Europe was shaped by long-term coexistence and gradual interbreeding between migrating Anatolian farmers and local hunter-gatherers, according to new research by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) with partners in Fribourg and Mainz. Using computer simulations calibrated with ancient DNA, the study finds that genetic mixing intensified locally over time along the "Danu

In the Neolithic, Agriculture Took Root Gradually

GENEVA, Switzerland — The transition to agriculture in Europe involved the coexistence of hunter-gatherers and early farmers migrating from Anatolia. To better understand their dynamics of interaction, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Fribourg and Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, combined computer simulations with ancient genetic data. The results show that population mixing increased loc…

Agriculture Emerges Gradually During the Neolithic Era

The transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled agriculture stands as one of the most transformative epochs in human prehistory. In Europe, this profound change began approximately 9,000 years ago, when early farming communities originating from the Aegean and western Anatolia embarked on successive migratory expansions following the “Danube route” into Central Europe. Despite the […]

In the Neolithic, agriculture took root gradually

20.08.2025 - A UNIGE study shows that European hunter-gatherers and Anatolian farmers coexisted and gradually interbred. The transition to agriculture in Europe involved the coexistence of hunter-gatherers and early farmers migrating from Anatolia.